Western Princess
by temari13
Summary: Orihime Inoue: a young woman left alone after the death of her brother. With no one to support her, how is she to survive? Become a mail-order bride, that's how.
1. Of Travels, Surprises, and Letters

Okay, this is a western-style Bleach fic so it is an AU and the characters will probably be OOC. I'm not so sure if you all will like it or not, but I thought I'd give it a try. Read and review, but no cursing in the reviews, please. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Momo would be joining forces with Aizen.

It was a beautiful day out, but the young woman sitting in the wagon didn't notice. Birds were chirping, and flowers bloomed on the hillsides. Normally, she would be trying to see everything at once and guessing what kind of flowers they were, but not right now. She was too nervous, too sore. How she wished she could jump off this wagon and walk. With each step the horse took, the wagon jostled and shook her small body. The sun beat down mercilessly, and although her bonnet did protect her face, the rest of her suffered. Her head ached, but she knew that was because she had her hair pinned up. Her auburn hair fell midway down her back when loose. Back home in Virginia, she had been allowed to wear it down, at least privately in her house, and only when they didn't have company.

The girl closed her gray eyes. That seemed like a distant memory now. So much had happened in the past six months since the death of her last living relative. _"Sora."_ She cried silently. _"Why did you have to leave me all alone?"_ She felt hot tears sting her eyes, but she refused to give in. She had cried enough. She had to move on.

Why was why she was here in this wagon, bouncing along. She clutched a piece of paper to her chest. Since receiving this letter, she had read it near fifty times and knew by heart the words printed neatly on the single sheet.

_Dear Miss Orihime Inoue,_

_It was a pleasure to read your reply to my ad. Upon careful thought and consideration, I have chosen you out of twenty applicants. I offer you my sincerest condolences for the loss of your brother. You will find a train ticket for your journey enclosed, along with some extra money in case you need to buy any necessities. The needed information for a marriage by proxy is also included. I am waiting anxiously for your arrival. I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you._

_With all my love,_

_Ichigo Kurosaki_

Orihime felt a blush creep across her face. This Ichigo Kurosaki sounded like a nice man, and she certainly hoped he was. How horrible it would be for her to travel over one thousand miles only to enter a nightmare. She traced his name, wondering what he looked like. There had been no photograph, but then again, she had not sent one of herself. Questions bombarded her thoughts as apprehension mounted. Was she doing the right thing? Who in her right mind would agree to marry a man she had never met before? What if he was not who he said he was? But what other choice did she have? She was alone in Virginia, with no relatives to care for her. She chewed on her lower lip, now regretting her decision. But it was too late now.

Her companion's voice drifted over to her. "There's Karakura right up ahead. I hope you'll like it here, Miss Inoue."

"Thank you." Turning her head slightly, she observed the driver. He had red hair and black eyes. His brown hat was pulled low, shading his face from the heat. He had barely spoken a word during the three hours they had been traveling together. When Orihime had stepped off the train Wichita, Kansas, she had asked around to see if anyone was heading to Karakura. He had come forward and said he was. At first, she had thought that perhaps he was Ichigo, but then he had introduced himself as Renji Abarai. Five minutes later, she had found herself sitting on the wagon seat, her one trunk in the back, heading to her new home. Mr. Abarai had not asked any questions, but had simply asked if that was all her luggage. She had sighed inwardly, knowing that she had left most of her belongings in Virginia. She had not been sure of what was appropriate to bring. She had brought four dresses and pictures of her brother. She had also packed some books she enjoyed reading. Other than that, she had nothing.

She noticed the wagon had begun to pick up speed, and instinctively held onto the side.

"Whoa, easy there, Girl." Renji clucked his tongue at the white horse, pulling at the reins slightly. She snorted and tossed her head, showing her disapproval, but slowed down nonetheless. He grinned. "She knows that home is nearby and can't wait to get back and eat."

"She's beautiful." Orihime spoke. "What's her name?"

"Sugar." Renji laughed. "It's an appropriate name, too. Her favorite food is sugar cubes. If it were up to me, she'd be spoiled, but her master wouldn't approve of it."

The woman thought she detected a note of bitterness in his tone and frowned slightly, wondering if the man of which Renji spoke was a cruel man. She decided against asking. It wouldn't be proper for a woman to ask a question like that, especially to a man.

_What if his master is Ichigo Kurosaki?_

She stifled a gasp, her eyes widening in horror. Surely, that could not be. But Ichigo had not been there at the train station, or at least she didn't think he had been. She hadn't stayed long enough to see, but the station had quickly emptied as other people located their companions. So her choices had either been stay in Wichita until someone came for her, or travel to Karakura with Mr. Abarai. She sighed helplessly. Perhaps Ichigo had an appointment he could not break and had asked Mr. Abarai to pick her up, and he would meet her later. That soothed her mind, although a small inkling of doubt still sprang up in the back of her mind, taunting her. There was nothing she could do about it now, though. So she folded her hands in her lap and watched as the town sprang into view. She couldn't help but bounce lightly as a thrill of excitement coursed through her. She immediately regretted her action, though, as her bottom began to protest. Oh, she couldn't wait to get down and stretch her legs.

Orihime wasn't sure what she had been expecting Karakura to look like, but she had known that it would be different from Richmond. But to her surprise, Karakura was a thriving, albeit smaller, town. As they bumped along the main road, she saw a store, hotel, sheriff's office, saloon, and several houses. The wagon halted in front of a building with a sign that read General Store. Renji jumped down, then hurried over to her side to assist her.

"Thank you." She murmured. Her eyes darted nervously around. She had no idea where to find her new husband. She reread the letter, searching for a clue. There was no address on the envelope. She sighed. She had better ask someone since Mr. Abarai didn't seem to know that she was here to meet someone.

"Where do you want your trunk, Ma'am?"

She started. "Hm? Oh, yes, my trunk. Um, where is the Kurosaki house?"

Renji raised an eyebrow. "The Kurosaki house? It's towards the edge of town thataway." He pointed left.

"Oh, well, that's where I'm heading, then." She smiled.

"Are you a relative? I wasn't aware that the Kurosakis had family back East."

"Oh, no, I'm not a relative. I mean, yes, I am. But," She hurried to explain, seeing the confused look in his eyes, "I need to find I-"

"Renji, you're back."

Orihime turned and looked up. A man wearing black pants and a white shirt walked up. His hair was orange and he had the most amazing brown eyes she had ever seen. Looking down, she brushed dirt off her dark blue skirt. She winced involuntarily. Dust clung to every fiber of her clothing and refused to be shaken out. She was thankful that her hair was hidden beneath her bonnet and had therefore escaped the dust storm.

"Yeah, I'm back. I had to make the monthly run for supplies. I know that route so well I could drive it blindfolded." He chuckled.

"The time you do that, Renji, you'll drive off a cliff and I'll have to patch you up. I just got back from the Kuchiki ranch. I was hoping to talk to you about helping me with fixing up the barn roof. You don't have to give me an answer right now. I already asked Byakuya, and he said he could spare you for a few days."

"Sure. Just let me know when." Renji lugged a crate off the wagon and set it by the store door.

"This Saturday would be good." The stranger lifted a hand in response to Renji's nod. "Okay. See you then." As he turned to leave, his eyes landed on Orihime. "And who is this?"

Renji looked up. He had completely forgotten about the woman. "Oh, yeah. She came in on the train and needed a ride here. Said she's looking for the Kurosaki house. It's actually a good thing you came. I have to get these crates unloaded now, and I don't want her to have to wait. So you can escort her."

The man's brow furrowed. "The Kurosaki house, you say? I'm not sure who you are, or how you know my family, but I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." He watched as the woman's eyes widened, and her cheeks colored.

"I'm Orihime Inoue. Well, I used to be Orihime Inoue, but now I'm Orihime Kurosaki. It's nice to meet you." She smiled shyly, and her whole face lit up.

"Kurosaki?" He repeated. "I don't think I understand."

Her smile faltered, but she held it in place. "I'm slightly confused. You sent me the ticket so I could come here. You-"

"I did?" Ichigo interrupted and took a step back, eying the small woman before him. She barely came up to his chest, and her gray eyes took on a worried look.

"Oh, dear. Perhaps you've forgotten. Let me introduce myself again. I am Orihime Kurosaki, your wife." She stumbled over her words, but managed to get them out. Surely, he'd remember her now.

"I don't have a wife."

That statement chilled her to the bone. "Y-yes, you do. We were married by proxy one week ago." Grabbing her small bag, she rummaged around until she pulled out some papers. "See? Your name is here, and mine is here." She pointed, her hand trembling. Perhaps he had bumped his head and forgotten momentarily. His memory would return soon.

Right?

"There had to be some mistake." Ichigo grabbed the certificate, examining it carefully.

"No, there isn't. I answered your ad for a mail-order bride." Orihime wrung her hands together and bit her lower lip. She felt pressure on the back of her eyes, and knew that tears were on their way. _"I must not cry. I must not cry."_

"What ad? I don't know what you're trying to pull, Lady, but I didn't place an ad for a bride, and I most certainly did _not_ marry you." He thrust the papers back into her hands. "I'm sure you can stay at the hotel until you can come up with transportation to go back to wherever you came from. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to be done." He turned on his heel and stalked off.

Renji had been silent during the whole exchange, and now glanced at the woman. Her face was pale. All the color had long since drained away. Her hands clutched the papers so tightly her knuckles turned white. Renji felt pity for her, but there was definitely a mistake. If Ichigo had placed an ad for a bride, the whole town would have heard about it. He wondered what kind of scandal the lady was involved in.

"You can head on over to the hotel. I'm sure they have an extra room. I'll bring your trunk over later. Unfortunately, I don't know when you'll be able to get a ride back to the train station."

"Yes, thank you." She whispered, her shoulders drooping. She looked so sad, so fragile, that he wanted to reassure her.

"The couple who own the hotel are nice folks. They'll make sure you're well taken care of." He stole a glance at her, and was shocked to see her slump to the ground. "Hey, Miss!" Bounding to her side, he knelt and brushed his hand against her forehead. No fever. He sighed. He gathered her in his arms, amazed at how light she was, and headed across the road to the hotel. Unloading would have to wait.

The windows shook as the door slammed. Ichigo steeled himself, waiting for a picture to fall from the wall.

"Ichigo, is that you?" A voice called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's me, Yuzu." He sighed.

"Just let me finish these dishes and I'll be right out!"

"Take your time." He crossed over to the fireplace, his boots thumping on the wood floor. He stared at a picture on the mantel. There was an older man with a full beard. A woman with a beautiful smile stood be his side. They each held a young girl in their arms, and a boy stood before them. Ichigo brushed his finger across the woman's face. _"Mom."_

A hand clamped on his shoulder. "I still remember when that was taken. Your mother looked so beautiful that day." Ishhin Kurosaki spoke.

"Yeah."" Ichigo swallowed, his voice thick with emotion.

"I'd love to reminisce, but I have some business to attend to. I'll talk to you later."

"See you. Oh, yeah, Dad. If you see a woman named Orihime, ignore her. She claims she's my wife." He forced a laugh. "She even had a fake marriage certificate."

"Is that so?"

Ichigo looked quizzically at the brown-haired man. "You okay?"

"So you met her already, did you?"

Ichigo blinked. "Met her? Already? You're making no sense."

Isshin let out a breath. "Son, I have something to tell you. You better sit down." He waited until his son was seated on a chair, then, after digging through a nearby desk, handed him an envelope and another piece of paper.

Ichigo took them and silently read them over. On the piece of paper were written these words:

_My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I am a twenty-two old year old doctor. I live in Karakura, Kansas. I am looking for a wife who is sweet, gentle, and strong. She must be no younger than eighteen, and no older than twenty-four. A single woman would be preferred, but a widow is also acceptable. I love children, and would not mind having a large family. I look forward to reading your replies._

His eyes narrowed and he wanted to yell, but he forced himself to read the letter next.

_Mr. Kurosaki,_

_My name is Orihime Inoue. I would not be responding to your ad, but my brother just died. He was my only living relative left, our parents having died some years ago. I turned nineteen last year, and I believed that everything was going well. Then, almost six months ago, my brother died. I am alone now, and have nowhere else to turn. I love children as well, and a large family would be wonderful. I have not been married before, nor am I promised to anyone._

_Sincerely,_

_Orihime Inoue_

Ichigo dropped the papers, and leveled a glare at his father. "What were you thinking?" He asked, his calm tone belying the rage he hid inside.

"You were too busy with your duties to look for a wife, so I chose for you. Besides, I'm not getting any younger, and I want to see at least one of my grandchildren before I die."

The younger man let out a growl and lunged at his father. Ichigo grabbed his shirt, his eyes flashing. "Dad, why couldn't you just stay out of my private life? It's none of your concern if I marry or not!"

Isshin studied his son. "Well, like it or not, you are married to her. You can't just throw her out."

He let go of Isshin's shirt, and slumped against the wall. "I don't believe this."

Isshin turned, looked out the window. "She's special, Ichigo. I can sense it. You two are perfect for each other. I can't tell you what to do now. You're a grown man. You decide for yourself if you want to give marriage a try, or give her a divorce." With that, he walked out the door, leaving Ichigo alone to think.

Ichigo covered his face in his hands. This was a fine mess his father had gotten him into. Still, he couldn't help but remember the woman, and how vulnerable she had looked just standing there. He could clearly see her every feature. Even with dirt coating her blue skirt and shirt, she had been -dare he say it- beautiful. He sighed. Although his mother had died when he was nine, he still could hear her voice, telling him to be nice to girls. His mother had raised him as a gentleman, and he didn't intend to defile his mother's memory by ignoring his wife.

He groaned. Maybe he would be lucky enough to get run over before he could talk to -what was her name? He fumbled with her letter. Ah, Orihime.

"Ichigo, what brings you here?" Yuzu, his younger sister (well, one of them), hurried out, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Yuzu, but I can't visit. I-I have something I need to do." He rose, planted a kiss on her cheek, then walked out. Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, he forced one foot in front of the other, moving himself in the direction of the hotel. _"If I survive this, it will be a miracle."_


	2. Of Friends, Decisions, and Home

Here's chapter two. I just finished it today. I have to start working on chapter three, so it won't be up until next week sometime. Oh, yeah. A new character is introduced!

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine.

* * *

A ceiling.

That was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. Blinking to clear her vision, she tried to sit up. The room began to spin, and she became aware of someone hurrying towards her.

"You should not be sitting up so soon. You fainted, remember?"

Orihime allowed the woman to lower her back down. She watched as the black-haired woman lifted a pitcher of water, poured some in a cup, and handed it to her.

"Now do not drink too quickly." The woman admonished, pushing up her glasses.

Orihime paused. She hadn't been aware of her thirst until the first few drops were in her mouth. "Thank you, Miss...uh..."

"I am Nanao Ise. You may just call me Nanao, since we seem to be the same age." Nanao smiled, her dark blue eyes sparkling.

"How old are you?" She dared to ask.

"A proper lady would never reveal her age." Nanao replied sternly, but the twinkle in her eye showed her amusement. "I am nineteen."

"Twenty." The two women smiled at each other. The redhead took a sip, then sighed.

"You seem troubled. Perhaps the reason you fainted is to blame?" Nanao asked quietly.

"Yes. I-I'm in trouble."

"Someone is pursuing you?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. What I meant was I don't know what I should do now. I came here as a mail-order bride, yet my..." She wasn't sure what to refer to him as, "the man who placed the ad has denied knowing about it. Now, I'm stuck here until I can acquire enough money to purchase a ticket back to Virginia."

"What about your family? Could they not send you the money?"

Orihime blinked back hot tears. "They're all dead. My brother's death six months ago was my reason for coming here. I sold the house, but the money went to pay my brother's debts."

"Oh, I am sorry. But I am certain that Mr. and Mrs. Ukitake will let you stay here until funds can be acquired for you." Nanao smiled gently.

"I don't have much money, so I'll have to find another place to stay when it runs out." She was glad now that she had been so frugal with the money Ichigo had sent to her. A pang of hurt ripped through her chest. Why had he sent the ticket if he had intended to deny it? Perhaps she was the reason. She stared at her hands. The skirt she was wearing was one of her older ones, but she had thought it still suitable to wear for traveling. And surely it couldn't have been the dust. Traveling was dirty, so one should not expect a person to remain clean, especially in a wagon. Could it have been her smile? Sora had always said that she smiled too much, then assured her that he loved her smile. Or maybe it was her lack of height. Or was she too heavy? She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. She didn't feel like dealing with them right now.

"Are you all right?" Nanao questioned, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Oh, yes, I am. I was just thinking about my, um, predicament."

"Hm. It is after noon. Are you hungry? Sometimes a full stomach helps me to sort through problems."

"Yes, very. I haven't eaten since early this morning." Her stomach growled on cue, and she wished she had forced herself to finish her breakfast. She hadn't even finished half for fear she would lose it due to her nerves.

"I will go down to see if Mrs. Ukitake has some food from lunch left over." Nanao rose. "Just relax for now. If you wish to freshen up, there is water in that basin in the corner." With that, she moved out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Orihime leaned against the pillows and surveyed the room. The walls were a light brown with a darker brown trim. The floor was wooden with a multicolored braided rug in the middle of the room. There was a small desk in the far left corner. A rocking chair was by the window and basin. A dresser stood by the desk, right across from the bed. She smiled. It felt homey. Her eyes rested on her trunk near the foot of the bed. Mr. Abarai must have dropped it off, just like he had promised.

At least some people still kept their promises.

Pushing the covers away, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. She wobbled slightly, but she took a deep breath and steeled herself. She opened the trunk, having made it without falling.

She carefully selected a brown skirt and a cream shirt. The skirt had tiny leaves embroidered near the hem and waistline. Small buttons ran down the front of the shirt. She peeled off her clothing and used the cloth by the basin to wash most of the grime away. Maybe later she could see about securing a washtub and taking a real bath. For now, this would have to do.

She was just buttoning the last button when there was a knock at the door. She hesitated, then swept over to the door and opened it a crack. She swung it fully open upon seeing Nanao there, a tray in her hands.

"Oh, good. You are up and moving around." Nanao set the tray on the desk. "There is some chicken with potatoes, and a biscuit, too. Mrs. Ukitake is a wonderful cook. She said that you could remain here, free of charge, while you find a job and earn money for your ticket."

"I can't do that. I have to pay her somehow." Orihime protested weakly.

"Nonsense. She will not allow that. She loves helping those she meets. She treats them like her children, since she never had any of her own. Now eat before it gets cold."

Orihime couldn't help but smile as she lifted her fork and took a bite. Her eyes widened in delight.

"I told you she was a wonderful cook, did I not?"

"Yes, you did." She had to force herself to eat slowly. Otherwise, she would have gobbled it all down in a matter of seconds. As Orihime ate, Nanao began to talk about herself.

"I am from Boston, Massachusetts. My whole life I have dreamed about being a schoolteacher. My family tried to dissuade me, but I refused to listen. I applied for a position here, and now look at me." She spread her arms. "I am in the middle of nowhere, as my mother would say, and I love it. It is a far cry from Boston, but it is quiet and peaceful. I do not feel quite as rushed here. I think you would like it, too, if you stayed. If you find a job, would you? Mrs. Ukitake would let you stay here, though you would have to pay for room and board."

"I-I don't know. Truth be told, I just want to leave and forget this place ever existed." Orihime confessed, her eyes downcast.

"Of course." She smiled knowingly. "There was a time when I wanted to do just that." She was about to say more, but a sharp rap on the door stopped her. "Who could that be?"

Orihime bit into the biscuit, half-listening to what was happening across the room. She nearly choked upon hearing Ichigo's voice.

"I need to talk to Miss Inoue, please."

"Mr. Kurosaki. Hold on one moment." Nanao shut the door, and briskly walked to her temporary roommate's side. "Is he the man who placed the ad?" She hissed.

Orihime bit her lip, which was now becoming quite sore. She really had to stop that nervous habit.

"I see." Nanao stared at the door, a grim look on her face. She stormed to it, yanked it open. "Miss Inoue does not wish to speak to you. And I do not wish to see your face again. The nerve, asking a woman to marry you then leaving her alone. She has already suffered, and was merely looking for someone to provide for her. If you meant for this to be a joke, I can assure you that we are not laughing." Her voice had risen with each sentence, and her blue eyes gleamed black. "Now good day, Mr. Kurosaki." She slammed the door in his face. A triumphant look graced her features as she smiled at Orihime. "That took care of the problem."

Orihime's mouth dropped open. "I can't believe you-" She squeaked.

"Just yelled at him?" She laughed when Orihime nodded. "Yes, I am known to have quite a temper. Most of the people in this town have witnessed it, some of them on more than one occasion." She growled when Ichigo knocked again, this time louder. "I believe I told you that she did not want to speak to you."

"Please, I have something I need to explain. Even if she just listens through the door. She needs to hear this."

Nanao glanced at Orihime, gaging her response. "Speak, but make it quick. And if you dare insult her or hurt her in any way..." She let the sentence hang, partly for effect and partly because she wasn't sure what to threaten him with. That man was afraid of nothing.

"Miss Inoue, I have to apologize for my behavior earlier. You caught me off guard because I honestly had no idea about the ad. My father was the one who sent it in and just informed me about it today. Had I known about it, I would have handled it differently. Miss Ise, would you please open the door? I dislike talking to wood." When the door opened, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Now, would you mind giving us some privacy?"

"Do you think I would let you be alone in the same room?" She asked, incredulously.

"We are married, so it's not like it would be improper." Ichigo spat out, rather impatiently.

Nanao glared, knowing that she was beat. "You play the marriage card when it is convenient, hm? You have five minutes, beginning now."

The man didn't speak until he heard the door click shut. He sighed, relieved to be free of Orihime's self-appointed guard dog. "I really am sorry, Miss Inoue."

"Orihime."

He blinked. "Eh?"

"Please call me Orihime."

"All right, then. Orihime." He tested her name out. It rolled off his tongue easily.

"And apology accepted." She hesitated.

"What is it?" He was quick to pick up her uneasiness.

"I hate to ask, but I was wondering if perhaps you would loan me some money so I can go back to Richmond. I'll pay you back." She held her breath, waiting for his reply.

"Actually, that was one other thing I needed to talk about." He drew in a breath and plunged in. "I was thinking that you could stay here. With me. I mean, we are married, after all. And one of my duties as a husband is to provide for you. But if you don't want to stay, you don't have to."

Silence reigned as Orihime considered his offer. Not that there was much to consider. She had known when she first wrote to him that if he chose her, she would be living in the same house with a stranger. Why should it make any difference now? But he had not intended to have a wife. What if he ignored her? Or worse, beat her? A shudder shook her shoulders. No, she wouldn't think about it. She could go back to Virginia, but what was there for her? She had no family, and she had been too shy to make friends. She sneaked a quick glance at Ichigo. He seemed as uncomfortable as she was. His hands dug into his pockets, and his gaze bored a hole through the floor. He intrigues her, she had to admit. She had never seen anyone with orange hair before. But it wasn't just his hair that had caught her attention. Earlier, he had exuded an air of confidence. He seemed strong, and he had apologized to her. That had to count for something, right? She stood, her skirt rustling as she stepped in front of him.

"I'll stay." She whispered.

Ichigo stared at her. He had not been expecting her to agree, what with how rudely he had treated her. He managed a smile. "Great. Uh, I brought the wagon, though I wasn't sure if I would need it. I'll put your luggage in the bed, and then we can leave."

"Okay. My trunk is there." She pointed.

"Only one?"

"Yes." She looked down. He seemed upset.

"I thought you'd have more. After all, you'll be living here now."

"I was thinking that I could just buy material here to make clothing. Unless we don't have the money." She covered her mouth with her hand. How could she assume such a thing? Surely he had other things to spend his money on.

"No, you can do that. I was just...surprised, that's all. I was under the impression that women packed several trunks."

"One minute." A voice drifted through the door.

Ichigo ignored her. "You can finish eating while I take it downstairs. I'll be back up in a few minutes." He picked up the trunk. "Could you get the door?"

"Uh, sure." She hurried over, pulled it open.

Nanao nearly fell to the floor. She quickly righted herself. "Good. You are done. Now you can..." She eyed the trunk. "And what is this?"

"Orihime is staying with me, Miss Ise. If you would move, I greatly appreciate it. This is rather heavy."

Nanao let him pass, then whirled on Orihime. "Are you seriously going with him? After what he said to you?"

"It was all a misunderstanding, Nanao. We managed to clear it up. Besides, we are married."

"But you do not know him!"

Orihime laughed gaily. "That's what happens when you're a mail-order bride. Don't worry. I'll be fine." She sighed, feeling the butterflies in her stomach again. "I'm not very hungry, though."

"I will take the plate to the kitchen. You get ready for your...husband." Her eyes twitched slightly.

"Thank you, Nanao." Orihime took her hair down, then hurriedly pinned it back up. She nervously smoothed her skirt.

"I hope you know what you are doing."

"Really, do you think that poorly of me, Miss Ise?" Ichigo asked dryly, appearing behind her.

"I am not entirely sure what to think of you. Perhaps you should be hanged." She stated bluntly, lifting her chin.

He scowled. "For a lady, you sure do speak your mind."

"For a gentleman, you sure do not act like one." She retorted.

"Please, stop." Orihime stepped between them, a hand in the air. "I-I don't like it when people fight..."

Ichigo grunted, but kept his mouth shut. He shoved his hands in his pockets, anxious to get home. What he wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up from this nightmare. "Are you ready to go? I need to be home in case there's an emergency since no one knows I'm here."

"Oh, yes, of course. Thank you for helping me, Nanao." Orihime beamed.

"You are welcome, Orihime. Do come and visit."

"I will." She gave Nanao an impulsive hug, stunning the schoolteacher, then waved before walking away with Ichigo. She followed him silently to the wagon, murmuring a barely audible 'thank you' when he helped her up. She found it difficult to keep her cheerful expression, so she let it drop, knowing that her bonnet would keep her face hidden. She just prayed that his house wasn't far away. She detested being in a wagon again.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was attempting to think of something to say, but came up empty every time. _"Dang it."_ He was frustrated and tired. He still could not believe what his father had done. _"I'm never going to speak to him again."_ He snapped the reins on the horse's back. The steed snorted and broke into a trot.

"It's very beautiful here."

The man jerked his gaze towards Orihime. "Yeah, I guess it is." The silence hung heavy around them once more, and Ichigo gritted his teeth. Never before had a five minute ride seemed so long. He cleared his throat. "My -uh, our- house is right up ahead."

Orihime nodded. She unclenched her fists and stared at the red marks where her nails had dug into the skin. She felt the wagon halt to a stop and sighed in relief. Finally, she could walk again. She stood and impatiently waited for Ichigo. He held out his hand and she took it, eager to get down. In her haste, she tripped on her skirt and plummeted headlong into him. Ichigo staggered backwards from the unexpected impact, but maintained his balance. After a minute, he became aware that she was still in his arms, her small hands clutching his shirt and her face pressed against his chest. His heartbeat quickened. He couldn't breathe.

Suddenly, Orihime gasped and pushed back, her cheeks flaming. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. My skirt...I stepped on it, and-"

Ichigo gawked at her as she kept rambling. He had heard that females had the 'gift of gab', as his father had put it, but hadn't actually seen it until right now. He clamped a hand over her mouth before she could begin another tirade. "All right, look. I don't mind you staying here with me, but let's get one thing clear. I don't talk much, and I dislike people who do. Now go inside. I'll get your trunk."

Her shocked expression quickly faded to one of hurt. She stumbled over an apology and scurried past him. He didn't move. He realized that he had taken his frustration out on her, thereby hurting her. Again. He ran a hand over his face. He didn't know what to do. All hew knew was that she was probably in there, crying her heart out, and he was the cause of her pain. He had never felt so low in his life.


	3. Of Jokes, Conversations, and Fainting

Sorry this took so long to get out. I had to force my brain to work. It didn't help that I kept getting distracted by pictures of Ichigo.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

* * *

Orihime was sitting on the couch when Ichigo joined her. There was no evidence that she had cried, and he took that as a good sign. "I'll give you a tour after I put this in the room." Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared down the hall. She heard a _thud_ as the trunk hit the floor, then the sound of his footsteps. She jumped to her feet when he entered.

"This is the living room. But I guess you knew that already."

Glancing around, she noted the sparse furniture. The couch, which was big enough for three people, had dark green upholstery, and a coffee table stood before it. A bookcase took up one corner, and a desk another. The walls were a plain white, and the floor was wood. Simple curtains hung on the windows.

"The dining room is in here." Ichigo walked through a door to the right. She followed, and found, much to her dislike, the same white walls and wood floors. An oak table was in the middle, surrounded by four chairs. _"Everything is so bland. How can he stand it?"_ She wrinkled her nose, then her gaze shot over to him to see if he had noticed. He hadn't. She relaxed.

"You can get to the kitchen through there, but I figure you'll want more time to learn where things are so you can look later. The bedroom is this way." He turned and led her back through the living room and down the hallway. He pushed open a door directly in front of them. "Here."

The woman slipped past him. A dresser stood against the left wall, and across from it was a bed covered with a white blanket. A basin sat on a small stool by the bed. And again, there were the same color walls and wood flooring. A sigh escaped her lips.

"We have an indoor bathroom, too." He indicated another door in the hall. "Uh, I have to get back to my office so I'll be there. You can see it through that window." He backed up and escaped through the door.

Orihime watched him leave, then sank onto the bed. She laughed, delighted at how soft it was. "Now if only there were more color." She thought aloud. "Oh, well. It's still a home. It's got a roof and walls and floors." Her stomach growled. "I wonder what he has to eat." Wandering into the kitchen, she opened the fridge. It was empty, except for some milk and...she wasn't sure what the other things were. "Well, there's only one thing left to do." She shut the fridge, a determined look on her face. "I have to ask him for money to go shopping." She retraced her steps back to the living room and opened the door. She nearly shrieked when she came face to face with someone she had never seen before.

Ichigo leaned his elbows on his desk, and rested his chin on his fists. Staring blankly out the window, he asked himself for the hundredth time, what had possessed his father to pull a stunt like this. Isshin should have known that Ichigo wasn't looking for a wife. Truth be told, he hadn't planned on marrying at all. He was happy being a bachelor, not having to answer to anyone or worrying about how to provide for his wife and kids. He froze.

Wait a minute.

He nearly flew out of his chair, uttering a curse word. He only owned one bed. He felt like like ripping his hair out. He breathed deeply to calm himself down. There was a way around this. He just had to stay calm. It would do no good if he lost his temper again.

The door opened and a Mexican man walked in. Ichigo tilted his head back. "Hey, Chad." He greeted his friend. "I hope your day is going better than mine."

Chad raised an eyebrow and sat down. "Why?"

"I'm married."

The giant said nothing for a good thirty seconds, as if waiting for the punch line. "...Oh."

"'Oh'? Is that all you can say?! 'Oh'?"

"...What else is there to say? Congratulations?"

"I don't think 'congratulations are in order here since my father was the culprit behind it." Ichigo spoke vehemently. "He placed an ad for a mail-order bride _under my name!_ What was he thinking?!"

Chad watched as Ichigo stood and restlessly pace the room. The doctor ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Honestly, Chad. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want a wife. I have no idea how to treat her. She's a stranger to me, and frankly, I could care less if she leaves. This is going to change everything. I was content with my life, but my father just had to poke his nose in my business. Now, my life is ruined and he's to blame."

Chad nodded sympathetically. He didn't really remember what it was like to have a father. His parents had died when he was eleven. Even then, his father hadn't been home much, and his mother had been too busy with her social life to care about him.

"Thanks, Chad, for just listening. That's one reason I value your friendship so much."

"Don't be so mad at him, Ichigo." Chad finally spoke up. "Sure, he overstepped his boundaries, but maybe he had an ulterior motive for it."

"Yeah, it's called 'annoy my son to death.'"

Chad shook his head. There was no reasoning with Ichigo when he was irritated like this. He sighed. "I have to go." He stood.

"Okay, see you. Oh, you want to come for dinner?"

"...Not tonight. You need to talk to your wife."

Ichigo groaned. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to be by myself with her."

A slow grin spread across the big man's face, and he paused, hand on the doorknob. "Why? Afraid you won't be able to control yourself?" He couldn't resist saying.

Ichigo glared at him. "Very funny. Now get outta here before I punch you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Ichigo grabbed the thing closest to him -his hat- and threw it. Chad exited quickly, laughing as he pulled the door shut behind him, and the hat collided with the door.

"Some friend he is. Can't even trust him to be serious." Ichigo muttered, only half kidding. Chad normally didn't crack jokes. Ever since they had met nine years ago when they were thirteen, they had been practically inseparable, always fishing or riding together. He resumed his post by the window, brow furrowed slightly. Perhaps he should talk to Orihime. After all, she had been tricked, as well. Yeah, that's what he would do. Talk to her, get to know her a little bit better that way they weren't total strangers. It might make things less awkward between them.

Sighing again, he pivoted towards the door. He would make conversation, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.

* * *

Orihime stared at the two new faces in front of her, her fingers curling around the knob. "H-hello."

"Hello. You must be Orihime, our new sister-in-law." A girl with light brown hair beamed. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with intricate white flowers stitched on the skirt.

"Sister-in-law?" She echoed faintly. There had been no mention of siblings in Ichigo's -no, his father's letters.

"Yes, my name is Yuzu, and this is my twin sister Karin."

"Sister?" She began to feel like a parrot as her eyes traveled over the other figure. She would never have guessed that it was a girl, since she was wearing pants and a shirt that had obviously belonged to a boy. Her black hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and a hat was pulled over her eyes. Orihime vaguely wondered if maybe the clothes had been Ichigo's.

Yuzu giggled. "I told you she wouldn't realize you were a girl, Karin."

"Shut up, Yuzu." Her twin scowled.

Orihime couldn't help but laugh. Karin's attitude reminded her of Ichigo's, moody and easy to annoy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing, but you act like-"

"My brother." Karin finished. "I get it all the time."

"Oh, where are my manners? Would you like to come in?" The redhead asked.

"Actually, we came here on a mission." Yuzu held out a basket. "Karin and I go shopping for Ichigo every week. Otherwise, he would starve."

Orihime sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I was just going to ask for money to go shopping. I'm glad I don't have to now." She shivered.

"Are you cold?" Yuzu asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Nah, she's probably just witnessed our beloved brother's temper and is scared stiff of him now." Karin's eyebrows shot up when Orihime looked away. "I got it right?"

"Ah, please don't tell him about that. I'm afraid we didn't get off to a very good start." She focused on her feet.

"Don't let his attitude get you down, Orihime." Yuzu said gently. "He can be rough around the edges, but inside he's really nice."

"Deep, deep inside." Karin snorted.

"Karin!" Yuzu protested, puffing her cheeks out.

"It's true. Anyway, let's get this stuff put away so I can go fishing."

Orihime blinked as Karin brushed past her. "Uh..."

"Oh, please forgive her. She's like this all the time. Dad says it's about time she starts acting like a lady, but I don't think she ever will. I'm not sure what he will do if she refuses." She sadly shook her head.

"Oh. Well, we should go help Karin." Orihime smiled.

"Yes. I still can't believe that Ichigo is married. I never thought he would settle down. He's a free spirit, always doing something. Before he became a doctor, he would disappear for hours and no one would know where he was. But now, he has responsibilities to fulfill. It wouldn't look very good for him if someone died because he was nowhere to be found."

Orihime smiled to herself as Yuzu kept chattering. She could see now why Ichigo had stated his dislike for people who talked too much. By the time they got to the kitchen, Karin had most of her basket's contents emptied into the fridge.

"Wow. You worked fast." Orihime commented.

"Yeah. I want to get in as much fishing as I can today."

Yuzu wrinkled her nose. "I don't see how you can stand to fish. The slimy bait and the fish? Ugh."

"You are such a girl, Yuzu."

"Yeah, and so are you. And you better not forget it. Dad's really upset with you."

"I know, I know. You don't have to keep saying it!" Karin gritted her teeth.

"Then why don't you just act ladylike? Dad will leave you alone then."

"Because I don't want to, Yuzu. Why can't I be who I want to be?"

Orihime's gray eyes widened as she looked from Karin to Yuzu and back again. She really hated it when people bickered. Biting her lip, she tried to decide if she should break up this argument or just let it continue.

"Whoa, what's going on here?"

All three girls spun towards the direction of the voice. Ichigo stood framed in the doorway, a frown on his face. "She just met you two and you're already fighting in front of her. Stop it."

"Well, if Karin would only listen to Dad then-"

"I don't want to hear anymore." Karin abruptly turned. "You can finish with the food." Head bowed, she began to leave.

Ichigo touched her arm as she went by, then looked at Yuzu. "You know, you don't have to keep pestering her about that. I personally don't see what's wrong with it."

"Oh, Ichigo." His sister sighed.

"Yuzu, leave the rest of this for us. You go on home and apologize to Karin."

"If you say so..." She smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Orihime."

"Same to you."

"I'll talk to you later, Ichigo." Yuzu stood on tip-toe and pressed a kiss to his cheek. In return, he ruffled her hair, earning a cry of protest. He rolled his eyes as she rushed off. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. They don't always fight like that."

"How old are they?" She caught her lower lip in her teeth. The question had spilled out before she could stop it.

He squinted his eyes in thought. "Uh...seventeen."

"So they're five years younger than you are. That is, if you are twenty-two." She peered at him through lowered lashes.

"Yeah. The ad said that."

"I...wasn't sure what all of that was true." She admitted.

"Well..." He leaned against the counter. "I am twenty-two and a doctor. That's all that was in the ad."

"Oh, no. There was more. 'I love children, and would not mind having a large family.' That was something else." Orihime nodded to punctuate her words.

Ichigo's mind blanked. "Uh..."

"You read in my reply that I love children, too." A slight tint of pink rose in her cheeks.

He nearly choked on his saliva. He hadn't thought about whether or not she wanted kids. _"Well, too bad if she does."_

She gasped, suddenly aware of what she had said. "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't- I mean-" She clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'll just stop talking now..." She mumbled. She switched her attention back to the groceries in the basket.

Ichigo studied her, slightly amused. So she was scared of him. That was to be expected since he had unleashed his temper on her. Well, some of it anyway. He had just been so frustrated with all that had transpired earlier that he just snapped. He opened his mouth to apologize, but shut it. He didn't owe her anything. She was the one who appeared and wrecked his life.

"Ichigo?"

"Huh? Were you saying something?"

"I was just asking you what you wanted for dinner." She nibbled on her lip. He noticed that it seemed to be a nervous habit.

"You should stop doing that."

"Doing what?" She questioned, confused.

"Biting your lip. You've been doing it all day, haven't you?"

"Yes, I suppose so. How did you know?"

"It's swollen. You should-" He broke off. He didn't care about her. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Um, dinner?"

"Right. Whatever you want to make is fine."

"I want to know what you like." Orihime brushed a stray piece of hair from her face.

A frantic voice calling his name saved him from having to answer. Orihime watched, fascinated, as he transformed into a businesslike professional. He bounded out of the house before she could speak a word. She trailed along behind him, curious about the problem. But when she stepped outside, she wished she hadn't.

A man lay crumpled in a wagon bed, his stomach soaked in blood. He was barely conscious, mumbling incoherent things. A closer look revealed him to be Renji Abarai. She gasped, horrified.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked briskly.

"A bull gored him. We wrapped something around him and got him here as fast as we could." A man with blond hair stepped forward. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Too soon to tell. I need to get him to my office. Izuru, Ikkaku, help me carry him there. Izuru, you take his legs. Ikkaku." He spoke next to a bald man. "You take his middle. I'll get his head." He swung up onto the wagon. "On the count of three. Ready? One. Two. Three." The men maneuvered him carefully off the wagon and began the trek to the office. Ichigo kicked the door in since he couldn't get a hand free. They laid him on the nearest bed, and Izuru and Ikkaku stepped back to let Ichigo work.

His surroundings faded into the background. Right now, this man needed his attention the most. It was a race against time to save him. Renji had lost a lot of blood. Ichigo had seen men stronger than Renji die from blood loss in no time at all. He just hoped that his experience could save him.

Orihime felt her knees weaken. She slumped against the house for support. Her head spun, and nausea threatened to take over. Squeezing her eyes shut, she fought against the bile rising in her throat. Why did she ever think that she would make it as a doctor's wife? She had always been squeamish at the sight of blood. Her body shook, and she wiped sweat from her forehead. She just needed to lie down for a bit. She slowly rose to a standing position, bracing herself. She took two steps into the house and discovered the floor rushing up to meet her.

The world went black.

For the first time in an hour, Ichigo allowed himself the luxury of taking a breath. For now, Renji was alive, but it would be touch and go for the next few days. He had to keep an eye out for infection. He traipsed to the basin of water nearby and plunged his hands into it. He lathered soap on his hands to wash the blood off. Grabbing a towel, he dried them off and went over to the door. Stepping outside, he found Izuru Kira and Ikkaku Madarame waiting for him.

"How is he?" Ikkaku asked.

"Stable, for now. But that could change at any moment. He'll have to be on constant surveillance. So much for getting some sleep tonight." He grumbled.

"Not that you would have gotten sleep tonight, anyway." Ikkaku grinned.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Renji said that you got yourself hitched."

"That was my father's doing. The meddlesome man decided I needed a wife."

"That was her by the house, though, right?" Izuru asked.

"Yeah, that was her."

Izuru glanced back at the house. "I hope she's all right. She seemed kind of pale when she saw Renji."

Ichigo's head jerked up. "What?" He groaned. "Terrific...Keep an eye on Renji and get me if anything changes." He jogged to the house. _"What kind of woman would accept a proposal from a doctor if she couldn't stomach the sight of blood?"_ He thought crossly. He slowed to a stop upon seeing Orihime sprawled on the threshold of the house. He blew out a breath. Stooping down, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed, then took off her shoes to make her more confortable.

This new wife was definitely a problem. And unlike other problems he had run into before, she wasn't going anywhere.


	4. Of Nightmares, Burdens, and Cooking

Yay! I'm done with the fourth chapter! Thanks for waiting patiently. Before you go on and read the story (unless you've already skipped over the author's note that took me forever to write XD), I have some things I need to say. I will be skipping some time throughout this story, but nothing dramatic like "And so two months later...blah, blah, blah." It will usually be a few days at the most, unless something drastic happens that calls for it, like say one of them gets really sick. I don't think you'll want to read a few weeks worth of "and so she waited by his bed for him to regain consciousness. And waited. And waited." So, yeah. Also, I was thinking that this story is taking place in 1895, Karakura, Kansas. I think that's it. So without further interruption, read and review this newest chapter of "Western Princess."

"_Talking"_

_'Thinking'_

_There was the odor of smoke in the air. A young woman peered out the window and gasped. "Oh, no! The stable is on fire!" She heard shouts and cries of outrage. She held her breath as some of the workers began to put out the fire. Hopefully, the horses, their source of money, could be saved. What had sparked the blaze, anyway? The stable hands were so careful not to let the hay catch fire. _

_Pounding at the front door drew her away from the window. Her feet barely touching the floor, she made her way to the entrance. She held her skirt in her hands in order to move faster. Her heart in her throat, all she could think about was her brother. Where was he? Was he safe? An arm snaked around her waist, and she would have screamed had a hand not been clamped over her mouth._

"_Sh. Don't make a sound. Go lock yourself in my office and don't you dare come out until you hear my voice. Understand?"_

_The girl looked up. A man with dark brown hair stood there. Though he looked handsome in his gray suit, he would have been even more so if he had not had a worried expression. 'Brother.' She nodded._

"_Good." He leaned down. "No matter what happens, I love you, Sister." He hugged her tightly, but only for a split second. "Now go!"_

_She didn't look back for she knew that he would be angry if she did. Managing to push the heavy office door shut, she locked it. And waited._

_There was the sound of splintering wood, and men's voices drifted to her. She pressed her ear to the door in order to listen better._

"_Where's the money?" A man asked roughly._

"_I don't have it yet. You will get it when I sell some more horses. Business has been slow lately, but it should pick up soon." Her brother's voice was calm despite the panic he was feeling. She knew. She'd seen it in his eyes._

_The sound of bone breaking made her flinch, and she swallowed hard to keep from calling out._

"_Give us the money now!" A different man demanded._

"_I told you. I don't-"_

"_Oh, give us a break. Either give us the money, or we get your sister."_

"_No! Please, don't take her! You'll get your money, I promise! I just need more time!" Her brother pleaded desperately._

"_Your time's up. The boss ain't happy. Now say good-bye." A pistol cocked. It fired._

_She wasn't aware she was screaming until the gun stopped._

"_Did you hear that? She's here somewhere." Floorboards creaked as the second man began to walk down the hall, opening doors along the way._

_The girl shrank back, her hands covering her mouth. Hide. She had to hide. Her eyes darted frantically around until she saw her brother's desk across the room. In desperation, she threw herself under it, hugging her knees to her chest. 'Please, don't let them find me. Please, don't let them find me.' She bit her lips, drawing blood. She was shaking uncontrollably as the intruder started banging on the door. 'Someone, please help me!'_

"_Let the girl go. The shots will bring his hired help running. Do you want to get caught?"_

_The man who had pulled the trigger swore loudly. "You got lucky this time, Girl. But next time..." He broke off, leaving what he could have said to her imagination. His laughter echoed as he departed, sending chills down her spine._

_Two minutes later, horses galloped away, carrying the murderers to safety. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe._

_A cry of pain startled her. Her brother. Was he unharmed? Scrambling to her feet, she raced to the door. Her fingers trembled as she turned the key and wrenched the door open. She took one step, and-_

"_No!"_

_Her brother was lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Even more of his blood was spurting out of a small hole in his chest. She stumbled over to him, dropped to her knees, ignoring the sticky liquid staining her skirt. She touched his shoulder._

_He turned his gaze to her, pain etched into his face. "I'm...sorry..."_

"_No, please don't say that. You're going to be fine. Help will be here soon." She clutched his hand._

"_Too...late..." He gasped out. "I...lo...love..." He never finished his sentence. He exhaled one last time as his eyes glazed over._

_She stared at him in shock. "No." She whispered, not believing he was dead. "No. No. No!" She shrieked. "Stay with me! You can't leave me! Come back, please!" She collapsed against him, sobbing hysterically. He couldn't be gone. There was no way..._

_Time seemed to stand still. When she sat up, tears still coursing down her cheeks, she had no clue as to how long she had been there. She hiccuped, and lifted a hand to brush the tears away. She froze. Blood caked her hands, her clothing. Her brother's blood..._

"_Nooooooo!"_

Orihime sat up with a start, gasping for air. She looked wildly around, disoriented. Where was she? She had to get away. They couldn't find her.

"Orihime?"

She yelped in fright, covering her ears. "Don't hurt me!"

"...I...wasn't planning on it. Did you hit your head when you fell?" Ichigo studied her, wondering what had come over her. Some kind of nightmare, he supposed, but didn't bother to ask. It wasn't his business, anyway.

"When...I fell?" She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. The events of the past few hours came flooding back. She squeezed her eyes shut to rid her mind of Renji's bloody body. It reminded her of-

"Yeah, you fainted. Again." A trace of aversion was evident in his voice.

"I-I'm sorry to be such a burden." She said so softly he had to strain to hear.

"_Yeah, you're a burden all right."_ He almost snorted in disgust but caught himself in time. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I think I'm okay." She gave a weak smile.

"Good. I have to go check on Renji now. Give a holler if you need anything else."

She watched as he left once more and sighed. Why did she get the feeling that she had done something wrong? Again? Her stomach rumbled. Food. She hadn't had a chance to eat anything. She surveyed the sun from the window. It was almost five o'clock. She panicked. "Oh, no. I have to make dinner for him!" Orihime straightened her clothing, dismayed at how wrinkled they had become. "I must look horrible. But I don't have time to change." Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. She forced them back. She had no time to cry.

Ichigo entered his office to find Ikkaku and Izuru still there. The bald man was sitting on a chair and reading the newspaper, while Izuru was tapping his fingers on the desk. They both glanced over.

"So, how's the wife?" Ikkaku asked casually, smirking.

"Fine." He answered. The door banged shut behind him.

"Uh-oh. I think someone had a lover's quarrel."

"Shut up, Ikkaku." Ichigo snarled. "We aren't lovers."

"Yet." Izuru murmured, then grinned sheepishly when Ichigo glowered at him. "Sorry..."

"Yeah, sure you are." The doctor strode to the bed that Renji was lying on. "So how's the patient?"

"I don't know. You tell me, Doc." Ikkaku leaned back against the wall, balancing his chair on two legs, and stretched. "He was mumbling something, though. I think it was 'Miss Rukia,' but I can't be sure."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'll have to ask him about that when he wakes up." He plunked down on a wooden chair. "You two can head on out now if you want. I'll be watching him."

The two men both stood. "Okay. We'll drop by tomorrow if we can take the time off. The boss ain't happy about Renji being gored and not able to work." Ikkaku spoke.

"Yeah, he was supposed to help me fix my barn's roof." Ichigo sighed. "Oh, well. I'll see if anyone else can help."

"I would be willing to, but I'm going to have double duty now that Renji's injured."

"That's okay. Don't worry about it." The orange-haired man slapped Izuru on the back. After waving them off, he spun on his heel and resumed his position on the chair he had vacated, this time straddling it, his arms on the back. He forced back a yawn. He had to stay awake. Renji could take a turn for the worst, and he had to be alert. But exhaustion settled in, and he began to lose the battle. His eyes drifted shut, and he sank into a well-deserved sleep.

Orihime stood in the kitchen, looking very bewildered. What should she make? More importantly, where did she start? She had ingredients and cooking utensils, but no recipes. She commenced a search of the cupboards, but found no recipes. She slumped against the counter in defeat. Some wife she was. In one day, she had succeeded in fainting twice, and had failed to serve a meal.

She laughed. It would be better if she knew how to cook. "Maybe I can find someone who can teach me. I wonder if Ichigo knows how to cook. He should, since he was living alone. Perhaps he could be my teacher, then." She mulled that thought over, then realized that that prospect didn't sit well with her. As it was, her husband could hardly stand to be in the same room with her. How much worse would it be if he had to tutor her, too? She jolted. How would he respond if he found out she didn't know how to cook?

She tasted something metallic, and touched her lip. "Oops, that hurts. Like Ichigo said, I should stop. I've just been doing it for so long, it's a habit." She spoke aloud, not caring that she was talking only to herself. If she had to stay silent around Ichigo, she might as well carry on a conversation when she was alone. She had to talk sometime.

But right now, she needed to confess her inability to cook. She planted her fists on her hips and glared at the pots and pans. "I knew I should have watched Miya in the kitchen." Miya had been their cook in Virginia, and had offered to show Orihime how to bake. But Sora had refused, saying that his sister was a lady and had no need to learn such trivial things.

"Not so trivial now, is it, Sora?" She muttered bitterly, then gasped. "Oh, Sora, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. It's just that there were so many things I wanted to do, but I wasn't allowed because I was a lady. I'm still a lady, Sora, but I'm afraid that I have to do this. I know you wouldn't approve, but I have no other choice..." She felt like she was marching to her death as she made her way to the building in the back. Her steps grew slower as she neared the door. She halted just outside, hand hovering above the knob. She drew in a deep breath, grasped it, and slowly swung the door open.

The sight that met her eyes brought a smile to her lips. Ichigo was perched on a chair, his head on his arms. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even. He looked so peaceful, she hated to wake him up. Besides, he might get mad at her if she did that. Again, she found herself drawn to his strange colored hair. Before she knew it, she was leaning over him, hesitantly touching the orange locks. She ran a finger through them. He moved slightly, and she yanked her hand back as though burned. When she was certain he was still asleep, she trailed her fingertips down his cheek. His facial muscles twitched into a half-smile. She giggled.

Ichigo knew that he would have to wake up, but didn't want to. It felt so good to sleep. Besides, it was soothing to have someone touch him. Wait. Who was touching him? He groaned and lifted his head up, blinking to clear his vision. As the blurry figure before him turned into Orihime, he ground his teeth together. Terrific. What did she want this time?

He noticed her eyes widen and a look of hurt passed over her features.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just that I had something to say..."

Oh, shoot.

Had he said that last thought out loud? He must have, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He couldn't take it back, even if he wanted to. "What was it?" he asked finally.

She twisted her skirt in her hands, keeping her gaze fixed on a spot on the floor that she had obviously found rather interesting. "I-I don't know how to cook." She admitted.

He couldn't believe his ears. She couldn't cook? "Come again?"

"I can't cook. My cook back home volunteered to show me how, but my brother said I didn't need to learn. I'm sorry that I'm such an inconvenience and a burden and a horrible excuse for a wife, bit I honestly didn't know that I would one day need cooking skills." Orihime bit her lip.

He refrained from admonishing her about that. If she wanted to tear her lip to shreds, then so be it. He had more important problems to deal with. "You can't cook." He reiterated. "What about when you got married? What would you do then?"

She did look at him this time, her face innocent and child-like. "Oh, I wouldn't have needed it if I had married someone from Virginia. My family had a cook, and everyone that I knew had someone to serve meals for them, too."

"Wonderful. I have a spoiled brat for a wife." He grumbled, exhaling loudly. "Is there anything you do know how to do?" He demanded harshly.

A sharp intake of breath was his only reply before she veered from him, hastily flinging the door open and escaping to the safety of the outdoors.

Ichigo stayed where he was, his hand covering his face. What good was a wife if she didn't know how to cook? She was useless, he had to acknowledge. Letting out a frustrated grunt, he rose to his feet and paced the room. Back and forth, back and forth. All the while, he was contemplating what to do now. He supposed that he would have to cook for both of them until she acquired enough skills to be useful in the kitchen. Yuzu would give her lessons, he was sure of it. He would ask her tomorrow morning. Right now, he wanted to eat. His stomach was protesting the lack of food, and he was sure that she was starving by now, too.

The only problem was his patient. Renji couldn't be left alone for great lengths of time. He raked a hand through his hair, kneaded the sore muscles in his neck. Orihime could sit with him. At least she could make herself useful that way. He stalked off to find Orihime.

He was not going to survive this sham of a marriage.

Orihime ate dinner in solitude since Ichigo had taken his plate back to the office so he could observe Renji. She picked at her food, feeling sick. It was true that she didn't have many skills, but she had hoped that he would be understanding. A tear dripped onto her lap. This had to have been the worst decision she had ever made.

After putting the leftovers in the fridge, she went back to his office to get his plate so she could wash it. She could do that much, at least. When she entered, his gaze flicked over to where she stood, then returned to the newspaper in his hand. Without a word, she took his plate and crossed back to the door. She paused. "Good night..." She whispered meekly, as if terrified that he would yell at her for saying anything.

"Hn." He grunted. There was the quiet click of the door, then he was left in silence.

Orihime carefully washed the dishes, scrutinizing each one to make sure that they were all clean. She didn't want Ichigo to get mad if they were still dirty. She hid a yawn behind her hand. She was drained of energy, and right now, the bed sounded really nice. Once in the bedroom, she pulled her nightgown out of the trunk. She wavered slightly, pondering if she should put her clothing in the closet. She decided against it, not wanting to take up his space. Her dresses might get wrinkled, but if it would keep him from becoming angry, she could deal with it.

In the bathroom, she washed her face, relieved that her eyes no longer looked red and puffy from crying. Quickly stripping off her shirt and skirt, she slipped into her nightdress. Gliding back to her trunk, she fished out her brush and, reaching up, undid the bun holding her hair in place. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders. Humming a lullaby Sora had sung to her when she was little, she pulled the brush through her hair, wincing as tangles obstructed its path. When she was done, she replaced the comb and shut the trunk's lid.

She yawned again. She had better get moving unless she wanted to fall asleep on the floor. That wouldn't be very comfortable. She thought of Ichigo, who had no other bed in the office besides the one occupied by Renji. He would evidently be sleeping in the chair. She nibbled on her lip. She didn't need to feel pity for him. It was part of his duty as a doctor. He had to stay close by his patients.

The bed looked so inviting, but she forced herself to tug down the covers before sliding between them. They felt cool to the touch, and when she buried her face in the pillow, she could smell a faint scent.

Ichigo's scent.

Had she not been half-asleep, she would have immediately clambered out of the bed, a blush heating her cheeks. But she was too tired. She felt her eyelids become heavy, and within a minute of lying down, she was asleep.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was not even close to drifting off to sleep. Since he had had a nap earlier, he was wide-awake, able to think about his marriage. He scoffed. No, they couldn't call it a marriage because it wasn't. A marriage was real. Their's was a pretense. Nothing about her appealed to him. Yes, she was beautiful, he grudgingly admitted, but that was it. He didn't feel all warm and fuzzy when she was around. It was quite the opposite, actually. She infuriated him like no one else had ever been able to. Well, besides his father. Isshin had the knack of always getting under Ichigo's skin, and his latest antic proved it.

Every so often, he would check Renji, making sure that he was still breathing and that an infection or fever hadn't set in. That kept his mind busy for a few minutes, but he knew that he was in for a long night with no sleep.

He smirked. If she was terrified of him because of his attitude today, just wait until she saw him tomorrow with hardly any rest.


	5. Of Embarrassment, Tears, and Chairs

Thanks to everyone who has been faithfully reviewing! Just like the other authors on here, I love reading the reviews. They make me want to write faster for you. As I'm continuing on with this story, I get more nervous. I keep thinking that maybe this next chapter won't be as good as the ones before it. I try to keep the characters in character as much as possible.

I know I said I wasn't going to post this until I got a beta, but thanks to ARCtheElite, I'm posting it. I still wouldn't mind having a beta (, are you still up to it?), at least to just run the chapters by them and make sure that the storyline isn't moving too quickly. As it is, I'm nervous about this chapter so give me a chance to hide before you read it.

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Orihime was up bright and early the next morning. She hummed cheerfully to herself as she made the bed, then smoothed away the wrinkles. Since she'd slept so well, she had woken up feeling refreshed and with a more positive outlook on her new life. It was a new day, and she and Ichigo could have a fresh start. No one could blame the poor man for acting the way he had. After all, he'd had the surprise of his life when she had showed up.

She tapped her chin, planning on what all to ask him. She wanted to know everything about him. When his birthday was, what his favorite color was. Oh! Her face brightened. She could ask him if they could redecorate. It was her home now, too, and she hated bland colors. They looked so tasteless.

She heard a door slam, and she scurried to the window. Ichigo was striding to the house. She couldn't see his facial expression, but she hoped he was in a good mood. Hurrying to the bathroom, she checked to see if there was anything on her face. What she found was so much worse.

"Oh, no!" Orihime stared, horrified. She was still in her nightgown! And now her husband was coming to the house. Though she knew that it wasn't improper for him to see her nightgown, she hardly knew him, and she felt embarrassed. Now in a state of panic, she backtracked to her trunk, pulling out the first outfit her hands closed around. She grabbed her underclothes and-

"Oh..."

She spun around and gasped. Her cheeks flamed bright red as she noticed Ichigo standing in the doorway, his hand on the knob. He was just standing there, his mouth open slightly. She squirmed uncomfortably as his gaze traveled from her feet to her face.

"I-Ichigo...I d-didn't know you were th-there." She stuttered. Her cheeks grew warmer still as he gaped at her. She looked down at her hands, and became even more mortified when she saw her underclothes clutched tightly in front of her. She hid them behind her.

Ichigo finally tore his eyes away and snapped his mouth shut. "Um...H-hurry up and get dressed. You need to watch Renji so I can make breakfast." He closed the door, giving her privacy. He felt flushed, and he could feel small beads of sweat on his forehead. He hadn't expected Orihime to still be in her nightdress. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to block out the image imprinted in his memory. The way she looked, all shocked and flustered, and the nightgown that clung to her body in all the right places. "Gah!" He slapped a hand over his face. He would have rather had his eyes gouged out than seen her like that. _"Oh, come on. You are married, so it's not like you can't see her in her nightdress. Besides, you could have looked away. You just didn't want to."_ A voice in the back of his mind taunted him. He groaned.

Just what he needed to start out the day.

Orihime quickly dressed, her fingers trembling. The tiny buttons on her sky blue shirt weren't cooperating today, and her light brown skirt was slightly wrinkled. Her hands fluttered over her head, then decided she had better skip pulling her hair up. Ichigo seemed to be in a rush. She flung open the door and dashed down the hallway. However, she was in such haste that she failed to notice Ichigo waiting impatiently at the end. She cried out as she collided with him.

Ichigo closed his eyes, mentally counting backwards from ten to keep his temper in check. He couldn't believe how incredibly _lucky_ he was to get stuck with a clumsy, useless wife. "Are you all right?" He asked through clenched teeth, not even looking at her.

"Uh...ah, I-I think so."

"That's not an answer. Either you're all right, or you're not. There is no 'I think so.'"

"Well, when you asked me, I wasn't sure if I had hurt anything. It was too soon to tell. But now I know. I am fine." She smiled brightly.

He whirled on her, hands gripping her shoulders. "I didn't ask for an explanation. I asked if you were-" He broke off, noticing for the first time that her red hair was down, framing her face. He reached out and pinched a few strands between his fingers and stared.

"_Your hair is so pretty, Mom. Can I do it for you?" A boy's hands are outstretched towards a woman._

"_Sure, Honey. Here's the brush. Don't pull too tightly, okay?" Her hair is long and red._

"_I'll be really careful, I promise!" The boy states seriously._

"_Mom? Mommy, wake up! Why are you sleeping? You have to wake up, Mommy!" He touches her arm._

_She doesn't reply. Her long, red hair is in disarray, covering her face._

"No!" Ichigo let go of her hair and stepped back. His face was pale, and he was breathing heavily.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Orihime asked in concern. Her fingers grazed his arm before he jerked it away.

"Don't touch me!" He seethed, his brown eyes narrowed and hateful. "And don't _ever_ wear your hair down again!" Stalking past her, he retreated into the kitchen.

Orihime remained in that spot for a few seconds. Then, with her head bowed, she pushed open the front door and slipped out to go to the office, a single teardrop on the floor the only witness to her sorrow.

Ichigo stopped in the middle of mixing the batter, pushing the bowl away. He leaned over the counter, squeezing his eyes shut. Seeing Orihime with her hair down -that was worse than seeing her with only her nightdress on. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Orihime reminded her of his mother so much it hurt.

His fist hit the counter top. No. She most definitely was _not_ his mother. Aside from the long, red hair, they were as different as night and day. His mother had been graceful, while Orihime was a klutz. His mother had been an excellent cook, while Orihime couldn't cook to save her life. His mother had known when to be quiet, while Orihime didn't know when to stop talking.

He refused to compare the two. For him, there was no competition as to who was better.

Orihime perched on a chair, her hands folded so tightly in her lap that her knuckled turned white. What had she done to deserve his wrath this time? Was it all because her hair was down? She fingered the long strands. She had been unable to pull it up because he hadn't given her a chance. She would just have to do it when she got back to the house.

Funny, she didn't think of it as 'her house', but 'the house.' She felt like she had no home anymore. She was a disappointment as a wife. Hot tears stung her eyes and leaked out. She covered her face with her hands, sniffling slightly. She could leave, but where would she go? Back to Virginia? She could stay here, but Ichigo obviously didn't want her. So why bother to stay?

"Miss Inoue...?"

It took a moment before it registered in her mind that someone was talking to her. She raised her head, aware of the tear stains on her cheeks, to see Renji watching her. "M-Mr. Abarai. Y-you're awake." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "D-do you need something?"

"Water." He croaked.

She nodded and, filling a small cup with water, helped him lift his head and drink. "There you go. Is that better?"

Renji nodded and settled back against the pillows. "You're...upset..." It wasn't a question, but a statement. His voice was so quiet and tinged with pain she had to concentrate on every word he spoke.

"Um...I'm okay, Mr. Abarai." She faked a smile.

He eyed her suspiciously, but had no strength to argue with her. Closing his eyes, he wondered if his orange-haired friend had something to do with Orihime's obvious unhappiness. Knowing Ichigo's big mouth and temper the way Renji did, Ichigo was the whole reason for it. _"When I'm better, I'm going to kill him"_ was his last thought before falling back to sleep.

Orihime studied the room. As it was in the house, the walls and floors were identical. _"He needs some flowers and color in here. Maybe when he comes back, I'll go outside and pick some flowers."_

She passed the remaining time by reading the newspaper left on the desk. She had never been allowed to read it when Sora was alive. He had stated many times that the newspaper was for men only. But she had managed to sneak it into her room when he was finished with it. Now she drank in the news thirstily, her eyes lighting up at a particular section. According to the article, there was a picnic in three days to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Karakura.

Different scenarios raced through her mind. Perhaps she would make some friends and therefore have a reason to remain here. She noted that it was a potluck and frowned. What was a potluck? It had the word 'luck' in it, so was it a form of gambling?

She was so deep in thought that she failed to notice the door open and close. It wasn't until someone spoke that she realized she was not alone anymore.

"Is that interesting?"

She started. "Oh, I-Ichigo. I-I was just..." She folded the newspaper up and set it aside, her nervous habit kicking in.

"You can take it back to the house if you want. I'm done with it." He was balancing two plates in his hand as he came in.

She stared at him. "You don't mind that I was reading it?"

He gave her a strange look. "Uh, no. There are a lot of women here who read it."

"Oh, okay." A relieved smile lit her face.

"You...didn't read it back in...uh, West Virginia?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm from Virginia. Don't worry about it. West Virginia, Virginia. It's an easy thing to mistake. And no, my brother said they were for men." Orihime peered around. "Although when he had finished reading it, I sneaked it into my room and looked at it." She whispered, as though afraid someone would overhear.

His back was turned so that she couldn't see his lips twitch into a smile. He set a plate with hardly on food on a small table for his patient, leaving one plate laden with food for him. "Oh. I didn't get you any."

"That's okay. I'll just eat at the house. Um, I saw that there is a picnic coming up."

"Yeah. Some big shindig for the fiftieth anniversary of Karakura." Ichigo shoveled a bite of pancake into his mouth.

"Are you going?" She pried further.

His fork stopped halfway to his mouth. "Probably."

"What's a potluck?"

He set the fork down with a _clank._ "What's with all the questions?"

She retreated from him. "Oh, th-that's right. Hehe, I'm sorry." She winced, pressing her lips together, and swiveled towards the exit.

"It's a dinner where every person who comes is supposed to bring a dish."

She swung her startled gaze to look at him. "Th-thank you."

"Welcome. The food is getting cold. You should go eat."

"Huh? Oh, right. You know, I never went to many parties back in Virginia. Since it was just my brother and I, whenever he had a dinner the only people there were men. So they talked in his office while I stayed in my room." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "But there were many times that Sora and I would-"

"That's nice." He cut her off, scowling. "If I want to know more about your past, I'll ask. And keep track of the time. When it's noon, come here so I can make lunch. And don't forget to pin your hair up."

She nodded and left.

A few hours later, Renji woke up again. Upon catching sight of Ichigo sitting there, he grimaced. "You..."

"Me what?" Ichigo asked dryly.

"She...was...Ah!" He gritted his teeth, curling up against the pain.

Ichigo jumped to his feet and grabbed a bottle of laudanum from a cabinet. He twisted the cap off and poured some onto a spoon. "Drink this. It will help with the pain."

Renji swallowed it and dropped back to the pillows. He took a deep breath. "She...was...upset..."

"When?" Ichigo's brow furrowed.

"Before."

"Why didn't she tell me you woke up?" He ground out. It was important to know when his patient had woken up and for how long.

"Don't get...mad."

Ichigo turned narrowed eyes to Renji. "And why not?"

"She's...hurt, too." Renji's voice was hoarse and laced with pain.

"Hey, don't talk if it hurts. Just rest for now."

The injured man licked his lips. "Fine. But later..."

The doctor watched as he fell back to sleep and sighed. He knew what Renji had meant by "But later." He knew that he was in for a tongue-lashing when Renji was feeling better.

Orihime had quite a bit of time until noon, so she decided to do some cleaning. Karin and Yuzu might have done shopping for Ichigo, but they certainly didn't clean for him. She found a thin layer of dust coating the furniture, and wondered how in the world he could live in a place like this. After scrounging around the house, she located some cleaning supplies, mainly an old rag, bucket, and lye soap. Little by little, the living room began to take shape. She even dragged all the books off the bookcase to wash the shelves. She made a point to remember what order the books had been in. It would do no good if she replaced them in the wrong order. Who knows what Ichigo would say then?

She surveyed the room with a critical eye. The walls seemed dingy. Grabbing her cloth, she dipped it in the soapy water and wrung the excess water out.

However, she ran into a problem. The walls were taller than she was. She could only reach so far. "Oh, dear." She stepped back, thinking of a solution. She snapped her fingers. "Ah! I can stand on a chair!" She clapped her hands together, very pleased with herself. Traipsing into the dining room, she picked up a chair and half-carried, half-dragged it to the living room, setting it by a wall. Hiking her skirt up, she climbed onto the chair. Stretching above her head, she ran the cloth across the wall. Grunting, she reached out to wash a particular spot. She misjudged the distance and went crashing to the floor, landing on her hip.

A scream tore through the air. She gasped for breath as salty tears dripped down her cheeks. _"I-I can't move my leg. No!"_ Writhing, she forced herself to calm down. A minute ticked by, two, three. Finally, her breathing evened out and she was able to think more clearly. She tried to rise to a sitting position, and her right hip protested the movement. She scooted over to the chair and held onto it, pulling herself to her feet. She leaned all of her weight on her left side and limped over to the bucket that had the dirty water. She picked it up and hobbled to the door, opening it and throwing the water out.

She bit her lip, drawing blood. Her leg hurt so bad. She had never felt this kind of physical pain before. She wondered briefly if she had broken it. Oh, Ichigo would be furious! She panicked. He couldn't find out. She would try to hide it from him, and lie about it if she could.

Ichgio frightened her when he was mad. Her fear that perhaps he would be abusive began to take root and bloom once more. Even when he wasn't mad, she felt as though she were walking on thin ice, dreading the moment the ice would crack and plunge her into the freezing depths of his harsh words.

"_I don't have a wife."_

"_What ad? I don't know what you're trying to pull, Lady, but I didn't place an ad for a bride, and I most certainly did not marry you." He thrust the papers back into her hands. "I'm sure you can stay at the hotel until you can come up with transportation to go back to wherever you came from. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to be done." He turned on his heel and stalked off._

_He clamped a hand over her mouth before she could begin another tirade. "All right, look. I don't mind you staying here with me, but let's get one thing clear. I don't talk much, and I dislike people who do. Now go inside. I'll get your trunk."_

"_Yeah, you fainted. Again." A trace of aversion was evident in his voice._

"_Wonderful. I have a spoiled brat for a wife." He grumbled, exhaling loudly. "Is there anything you do know how to do?" He demanded harshly._

She buried her face in her hands. Oh, she had made such a mess of things. She should have never answered the ad, accepted the proposal. She should have run away at the first sign of trouble. But she hadn't. Now, she was stuck here with a monster for a husband.

And no way out.

Ichigo tapped his fingers on the desk. Renji had been drifting in and out of consciousness, but still seemed to be resting peacefully. The laudanum had kicked in and taken care of the pain. Ichigo was concerned, though. Renji had a slight fever, and although it could turn out to be nothing, Ichigo wasn't taking any chances. Infection could be deadly, and he had no intention of letting one of his patients die.

He would have to tell Orihime to keep a watchful eye on his temperature and to get him if it went up any higher. He just hoped she didn't mess up.

The door opened. "Um, I'm here."

"_Speak of the devil."_ He thought as he rose from the chair. "Listen, I have something to tell you and it is very important, got it? Renji has a fever. It's not a high one right now, but that can change quickly. You need to make sure that if it goes any higher than it is now, which is 99.6, that you come and get me _immediately._ Understand?" He gave her a hard look.

Orihime gulped and nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"Good." He watched as she made her way to the chair, favoring her right leg. His doctor's instincts switched on. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, my leg. It...it fell asleep." She chewed on her lip, not meeting his gaze.

He scowled. That was a lie and she knew it. He wasn't going to interrogate her. If she didn't want to tell him, then fine. He stalked outside.

It was a nice day today. He hardly ever took the time to 'smell the roses' -another of his father's favorite quotes- but he couldn't help but notice it today. The sun was warm and he could hear the sound of animals on other farms being carried on the wind.

He shook his head as he entered the house. Since when had he ever cared if it was nice out? He halted. The living room smelled...clean. He did a double-take at the furniture. Not believing his eyes, he went over and ran a finger over the table. No dust.

"So she is good for something, at least." He inspected the dining room only to find it still as dirty as it was before. His brown orbs latched onto a vacant spot by the table. One of the chairs was missing. He peered back into the living room. Sure enough, there was the chair by the wall. A frown appeared on his face as he studied the area. The wall had been partially cleaned. Perhaps she had just run out of time to clean before it turned noon.

Or maybe she had fallen.

Ichigo's eyes widened. If it was true that she had fallen, she might have hit her head. Head injuries were dangerous. He swore and headed back to his office.

Why was she so insistent on being difficult?

Orihime's lip was bleeding again. Every time she moved, a flash of pain would shoot through her leg. And now her arm was hurting, too. She swiped at a tear. She could bear it, though. She jerked in surprise when Ichigo burst through the door. He was beside her in two, long steps, his fingers probing the back of her head.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She squeaked.

"Checking you over since you didn't bother to tell me you fell off the chair." He growled.

Her gray eyes widened. She had forgotten to put the chair back. "Oh...Well, I-I didn't hit my head."

"Then what?"

"M-my arm and leg." She stiffened as he ran experienced fingers down her arm.

"It's not broken, but it's most likely bruised." He stood back. "Take them off."

"Wh-what?" She stammered, her cheeks paling. She hugged herself and backed away.

He sighed. She clearly wasn't going to do this the easy way. "Either you take it off yourself, or I'll do it for you. You choose."

They stood, staring at each other, until Orihime finally relented. She turned her back and began to shakily unbutton her shirt. Pulling it out from under her skirt, she worked on unzipping her skirt. She stopped. "P-please don't look." She waited until Ichigo busied himself with rearranging the medicines on a cabinet before she let go of her skirt. It dropped to the floor, and she reluctantly shed her shirt, as well. She noticed a blanket folded up and wrapped it around her body. "I-I'm done."

Ichigo glanced at the pile of clothing on the floor. He sighed. "Your petticoats, too, Orihime." He ignored her look of horror. "I have to see your leg."

Tears shimmering in her eyes, she obeyed him. When he pointed to the chair, she sat down. Still clinging to the blanket, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as Ichigo knelt beside her and examined the bruise slowly forming.

"It's going to be painful until it heals, and I want you to stay off of it at least for today, maybe longer. When you do start walking, make sure you don't keep it stiff. I can give you some laudanum for the pain if you want." At her nod, he went over and got the bottle. After administering the medicine, he gathered up the clothing and handed them to her. "Make sure the blanket is covering you."

Her mouth opened when he effortlessly lifted her into his arms. She squirmed, still embarrassed, as he carried her to the house and into the bedroom. He sat her at the bottom of the bed and proceeded to pull the covers down. "That should make it more, uh, comfortable."

"Thank you." She whispered, keeping her gaze fixed on her hands.

Ichigo retreated to the door, paused. He looked back, about to speak, but changed his mind. "Get some rest." He said quietly. Ten seconds later, the front door clicked shut.

Orihime threw her clothing on the floor, leaned down and took off her shoes. She crawled up the bed and snuggled under the covers.

Rest sounded really good.


	6. Of Guilt, Picnics, and Family

Yay! Another chapter is done! This chapter took a little while to write, but I finally finished it. Thank you for the reviews and the patience in waiting for me to post this. I've had schoolwork to do, and some plot bunnies bounced into my mind and took over. But anyway, on with the chapter!

And an extra special thanks for my beta, Darth Hawk32, who is amazing and most definitely **did **write this in my author's notes. (XP)

No, seriously. He is amazing, although he has _very_ selfish reasons for being my beta. (Oh, and I win because I'm the last one to see this document before I post it, so there XP)

*I don't curse, but to get the effect I wanted, I had to use it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I do own five Bleach manga volumes, though.

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When Chad dropped by at his usual time with a newspaper, he found Ichigo slumped in the chair by the desk, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Chad sat down in the other chair, studying his friend. "What's wrong?"

"Orihime fell off a chair."

Chad raised an amused eyebrow. "How?"

"She decided to clean the walls today. She fell and bruised her hip. She didn't tell me about it, either. I had to find out by myself when I saw her limping and the chair against the wall. What kind of woman is she? She talks too much about unimportant things, and too little about the important things."

"Talk to me. What's been going on?" The big man leaned forward.

"What hasn't been going on, Chad? She is going to be the death of me. She is annoying, and, oh, get this. She doesn't know how to cook. Can you believe that? What woman in her right mind doesn't know how to cook? She gave me an excuse, too. Something about having had a cook or something. I asked her what she did know how to do and she ran away." The orange-haired man scowled.

Chad nodded in understanding. "She's scared."

Ichigo lifted his eyes to view his friend. "Huh?"

"I heard from Renji before he was gored that you didn't exactly give her the greatest welcome."

"Well, what did you want me to do? Welcome her with open arms? She just showed up and disrupted my life. She can't cook at all, she's clumsy, she won't stop talking," Ichigo ticked off the list on his fingers.

"Ichigo." Chad sighed. "You can be...scary sometimes, especially to someone who doesn't know you very well. Sometimes you just blow up at the slightest things. So was it any wonder that she didn't tell you? What all has she done that you exploded at?"

"Well, everything. But-"

"Do you realize she could have died?" The Mexican interrupted.

Ichigo jolted.

"If she'd bumped her head and hadn't hurt her leg at all, you would never have known. The injury could have caused her death. And since she was too afraid to talk to you, you would have been partly to blame." Chad finished, speaking slowly.

Again.

That word hung heavy in the air. Neither of them said it out loud, but it still loomed over their heads like a dark cloud. It was taboo to bring the subject up, and Chad had unintentionally tread on very shaky ground.

Ichigo stared blankly out the window. Chad was right. He had been so wrapped up in the inconvenience the situation had caused him that he had neglected to think about her feelings. She had been tricked, as well, and how had he treated her? Now, because of his ignorance, she could have died. No, he didn't want to be responsible for someone's death.

Not again.

He let out a breath. "Yeah, I knew that she was scared of me. To be honest, I wanted it that way. But if she's not going to tell me something important like that...Well, I think I could stand to be a little more civil to her. I still don't like the fact that she's here, but I think I can deal with it."

Chad nodded; relieved that Ichigo seemed to finally understand how much his attitude affected other people. "Good. I have to go now."

"Yeah, never know when someone might bring in a horse to be shooed. I'll see you." Once Chad had left, Ichigo leaned back, his hands behind his head. Yesterday, he had made up his mind that he was going to try to be friendly with her. What had changed? Oh, yes. Renji had been injured, and then she had fainted. After that, she had confessed that she couldn't cook. And how could he forget the incident with her nightdress and her bruised hip?

He could feel his cheeks growing hot, and was relieved that no one was here to witness it. She'd had to remove her clothing so he could examine her. It was his duty as a doctor. Glancing over at Renji, he wondered if he would be able to sneak away for a few minutes to check on Orihime. It had been a little more than an hour since he had sent her to rest. After checking Renji over quickly and finding that his fever had gone down, Ichigo left, quietly shutting the door behind him.

He noticed Ikkaku ride up to the office and greeted him. "What are you doing here?"

"I managed to finagle some time off to see how Renji's doing." The bald man jumped off the horse and tied the reins to a post.

"He woke up a few times, but he's still out of it. He had a fever, too, but that's gone down."

"When do you think he can be moved?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Not for a while yet. He's still too weak and I don't want to risk the stitches tearing. Why?"

"Mr. Kuchiki wants him back to work as soon as possible."

"Well, he's got to wait. I wouldn't be surprised if he's still recovering three months from now. That bull really did a number on him. He's lucky to be alive. How exactly did it happen?"

Ikkaku raised an eyebrow. "The bull broke through a section of the fence that we were to fix that day. It started rampaging towards the house. Miss Kuchiki was just coming out to get in the wagon to go to town. That bull headed straight for her, and let me tell you this, I ain't never seen Renji move that fast. Before any of us could do anything, that idiot was between Miss Kuchiki and the bull. I guess it decided that Renji was better prey and went after him."

Ichigo gave a low whistle. "That must have taken guts to do that."

"I'd say so. But you know, if Renji hadn't done that, Miss Kuchiki would have been killed, and there would have been a price to pay for all of us present that didn't do anything to stop it. Her older brother would have killed us all." Ikkaku scowled, then spat on the ground. "I can't stand that man, but it's a job. I need the money." It looked like he was going to say more, but decided against it.

"You can go on in and see Renji, but don't bother him if he's sleeping. I have to go check on Orihime and make sure she's staying out of trouble." He sighed.

"Why? What did she do?" After Ichigo relayed the incident, Ikkaku couldn't help but smirk. "Looks like you've got yourself a real winner."

"You have to be kidding. More like a real problem. Anyway, I'll catch you later." The orange-haired man lifted a hand and walked off. Thirty seconds later found him leaning against the doorframe watching Orihime sleep. He hated to wake her since she was sleeping peacefully, so he turned and went to the kitchen. After grabbing something to eat, he carried the plate back to the office. Ikkaku was still there, and it looked like Renji was awake.

"Do you remember anything about what happened?" Ikkaku was asking as Ichigo came in.

"Not...really. Did...Miss Kuchiki get...?"

"Nah, she's fit as a fiddle, thanks to your quick, albeit idiotic, thinking." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"She was...in danger." Renji protested weakly. "I had to...do something."

"Uh-huh." Ikkaku gave Ichigo a look saying 'he's-got-it-bad-for-her.'

Ichigo began to laugh, causing him to choke on the food that was in his mouth. After a few minutes of coughing, he took a deep breath.

"You okay, Doc?" Ikkaku asked, grinning.

"Yeah, just fine." He ignored Ikkaku's loud laughter. A few minutes later there was silence as Ichigo ate. Renji fell back to sleep, which Ichigo knew was needed for him to regain his strength.

"You know, you're going to be the same way."

Ichigo jerked his gaze over to his friend. "What?"

"You heard me." Ikkaku leaned back in his chair, a smug look on his face.

"What makes you so sure?" The doctor questioned slowly, his brow furrowing.

He shrugged. "No particular reason." He slapped his hands on his knees and stood. "I've probably pushed my limit as to how long I could be gone, so I better get back before I don't have a job."

"Yeah, see you." The door shut, and Ichigo was left alone. He tapped his finger on the desk. _What made him say that? I will never act like Renji does when he's around Rukia. That is ridiculous. Orihime may be my wife, but I certainly didn't choose her. She doesn't affect me at all._ He blew out a breath. He wasn't going to worry about it. Ikkaku was dead wrong with his assumption.

* * *

Orihime woke slowly. She blinked and yawned. Intending to go back to sleep, she pulled the covers tighter, but realized she wouldn't be able to. Nibbling on her lip, she sat up and winced. Her leg still hurt, but she had to move. She hesitated, remembering that Ichigo had told her to stay off her leg. She had no way to get hold of him. Dare she do this and risk angering him?

Yes, she had to. She pushed the covers away and carefully swung her legs over the edge. She placed her weight on her left side and made her way to the bathroom, all the while holding her breath and waiting for Ichigo to storm in. When he didn't, she gave a sigh of relief.

Her stomach growled, and she giggled, then sobered as she realized that she didn't have anything to eat. If she hadn't been told by Ichigo to stay in the house, she could have gone to ask him. But since she had been forbidden to walk around, she had to wait until he came to see her.

What if he didn't come to see her?

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly. She was going to starve! He was planning on staying away because he knew that she would obey him. Was this his way of getting rid of her? Tears threatened to overflow, but she held them back. He wouldn't do anything like that, not after he helped with her leg. Besides, she was in pain and hungry. That could be part of the reason as to why she was feeling as though these were her last few hours on Earth.

Limping back to the bed, she sat down and pondered her dilemma. On the one hand, she could sit here and very well starve, but he wouldn't be angry. On the other hand, she could walk to the office and ask for something to eat, thus incurring his wrath. Oh, why were all the important decisions in life so difficult to make?

Her stomach rumbled again, and she knew that she had to have food. She scooped up her clothing from the floor and began to dress. As she did, she blushed, recalling the events from a few hours ago. She could still feel the touch of his fingers on her skin. His touch had been so warm and gentle, not at all like she had thought it would be. But as a doctor, he had to be gentle. And at that moment, he had been a doctor, not her husband.

Orihime froze. Could it be? Was it possible that there was a human being hidden deep inside Ichigo? A part of him that didn't lose his temper so casually? She would have done a little jig for joy, but the pain in her leg prevented her from doing so.

Maybe things were beginning to turn around for her. Now if she could only find something that she was good at. She should learn how to cook, she reasoned. That way, Ichigo didn't have to worry about making the meals and taking care of his patients at the same time. Glancing down at her leg, she decided that it would be a good idea to start learning now while she didn't have anything else to do. Surely he wouldn't oppose to her sitting down and watching him.

But then again, he couldn't stand being around her. That much was evident from the numerous times he had abruptly left her alone. She put a hand to her forehead. That man was confusing. His moods changed so quickly her head spun just thinking about it. She sighed, certain that she would never understand him. "Oh, well. I can at least give it a try..."

"Give what a try?"

Orihime yelped and whirled around. There, in the doorway, stood Ichigo, a tray in his hands. "Ichigo." She gasped and pressed a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.

"I thought I told you to stay off your leg." A frown darkened his face.

"Well, um, yes, you did, but I had to..." She blushed, sneaking a peek towards the bathroom.

He followed her gaze. "Oh...um, yeah. That's fine. Just don't go walking all over the house. I brought you some food. Thought you might be hungry."

Her mouth watered at the delicious smell wafting from the plate. "Yes, I am. I wasn't sure what to do, though. I mean, I wasn't sure if you were coming and I was hungry and-"

"Wait. If? What do you mean by 'if'?" Ichigo interrupted.

"Did I say if? I meant when," she stammered.

Ichigo set the tray on the small table with a clunk, and turned to face her. "Orihime let me tell you this. I may not have been expecting you to come, and I may not be entirely happy that you are here, but you are my responsibility. And I take responsibility very seriously. So you don't have to worry about anything. Got it?"

She had stared wide-eyed at him during his whole speech. Now she blinked. "Y-yes. Thank you."

"Good, now eat before the food gets cold."

"All right." She gave him a smile and hobbled to the bed, sitting down and reaching for the tray. He handed it to her, and she took it eagerly. She ate a few bites. "Um, who's watching Mr. Abarai?"

"Karin came over to see if I would go fishing with her tomorrow morning, so I put her to work. She complained, but it's not very hard to just sit and watch someone."

"Your sisters both seem very nice." Orihime spoke. He wasn't yelling at her yet, so she assumed he wouldn't get mad at her if she continued to talk.

"They have their moments. You'll see them again at the picnic. You'll also be able to meet most of the towns people there."

* * *

"Will I meet your father?"

He scowled. "More than likely, yeah, you will."

She paused. "You don't like your father?"

"He's just annoying, that's all."

"But he's still family. You may not like everything he does, but he is your father." She argued. "If something were to happen to him, you would be upset that you didn't tell him all the things you should have said to him."

Ichigo stared at the woman, dumbfounded. He didn't know where she thought up these speeches, but he grudgingly admitted to himself that she was right. Although Isshin never learned his lesson and continued to hound Ichigo, they were family, and family stuck together. He had learned that after his mother died.

His fists clenched as his gaze traveled to the window. He had been only nine, but he could still remember her soft voice, her contagious laughter. Thirteen years had passed, but the ache still remained. He knew that there would always be a piece of his heart missing, and had long since accepted it. But what he had never accepted was the-

"Ichigo?"

"Huh?" He turned to face her.

"Um, I was asking if it would be all right if I watched you cook from now on. I mean…I should learn how since you're a doctor and have the townspeople to look out for." Her courage faltered as he continued to watch her. "Is....is there something on my face?" She tentatively reached a hand up and discovered that her hair was falling out of the bun she had made. "Oh! I-I'm sorry! I'll fix it right away!" She captured the elusive strands in her hands and held them out of her face. She didn't want to take the whole bun down since he had said never to wear her hair down again.

"That's fine. The cooking, that is." He tore his gaze away from her. "I should get back to the office to make sure Karin hasn't killed Renji yet just so she can leave."

"Um...thank you for the food."

"...You're welcome." He said as he walked by her.

Orihime could hardly believe it. This was the first conversation that hadn't led to him getting mad at her. Her lips spread into a smile and she clapped happily, not caring if he was still within hearing range. This was a big improvement, and it was only her second day here. Yesterday, she had been full of despair, but now, her spirits lifted and it looked like there was indeed a light at the end of the dark tunnel.

The next few days passed by with no major problems. They slipped into a companionable pattern, but neither of them attempted to become closer to the other. Ichigo had yelled at her once, but that was only because she had tried to clean the walls that she had missed. He had promptly carried her back to the bed, muttering something under his breath about how women didn't belong standing on chairs. Every day, she sat in the kitchen, watching and listening intently as he explained how certain things worked. He even let her do some of the work, surveying her closely to make sure she didn't make a mistake. He found her to be a good student who learned rather quickly. There were times he wondered if she was younger than twenty since she had such a child-like personality. He had asked her, and she had very seriously stated that twenty was in fact her real age.

Ichigo was still sleeping in the office since Renji was still there. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when Renji could be moved. Should he continue to sleep in the office, or should he move back to the house and just stay on the couch? Fortunately, he didn't have to cross that bridge yet.

The day after she had bruised her hip, he had examined it again. The bruise had turned an ugly blue and purple color and was the size of his fist. He had granted her permission to walk around, just as long as she used it to some extent so it didn't become stiff. Her leg still hurt, but the pain wasn't as unbearable as it had been the first few hours. He gave her a cane to use, which she secretly thought made her look like an old lady, but she didn't dare refuse his offer.

Saturday was the day of the picnic. She had looked forward to it ever since she had read about it. She knew she annoyed him when she kept babbling on and on about it, but he never told her to be quiet. This made her want to be aware of his feelings, and whenever she sensed that he had nearly reached his limit, she stopped, giving him a smile instead.

The day of the picnic dawned bright and clear, which Orihime was glad for. The night before had been gusty, with a few raindrops here and there. She had assisted Ichigo in baking an apple pie, and was delighted with how well it had turned out. She had wanted to sample it, but he told her that she would just have to wait until the picnic.

The redhead had taken great care with her outfit and hair. This would be her first time in town with Ichigo, and she wanted to make a good impression. That was why Ichigo was upset when they had to leave in five minutes and she still had yet to do her hair.

"I-I'm really sorry, Ichigo. I didn't think it would take me this long." She poked her head out of the bedroom doorway.

"Don't keep apologizing. Just get in there and finish. We're already going to be late enough as it is." He scowled and ran a hand through his hair. "What is it with women and taking forever just to get ready for a picnic?" He muttered, plopping down on the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was tired, having been up practically all night. Just before midnight, a man had come tearing into the yard, yelling that his wife was having her baby. It had been a long seven hours, but the baby boy had eventually made his appearance, wailing the whole time.

Ichigo must have drifted to sleep, because the next thing he knew, there was someone shaking his arm.

"Ichigo. Ichigo, I'm ready."

He struggled to open his eyes. "'Kay." He yawned. Maybe splashing some cold water on his face would help. He shook his head to ward off the sleepiness, and then glanced towards Orihime. He did a double take, not sure if this was the same woman. She wore a light blue dress with a darker blue pattern of flowers and leaves. Her hair was coiled in the back, secured by a gold pin. A hat perched on top of her head to shade her from the sun. A simple locket hung from her neck.

"Um, are you okay, Ichigo? I know that you are tired. Maybe we should just stay home today." She fretted, a worried look slipping over her face.

"No, I'm fine. We can go. I'm sure that I'll be able to catch a nap while we're there." He stood, waving her out the door. He followed, and then helped her up into the wagon. He joined her, slapped the reins across the horse's back, and they took off at a trot. The potluck was being held all the way across town, which was a good fifteen-minute walk away. They were definitely going to be late.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave Mr. Abarai alone?" Orihime asked, causing him to turn his attention to her.

"Yeah, he's out of danger. He's still weak, but that's to be expected for now."

"What's your horse's name?"

Ichigo bit back an angry retort. Here came the hundreds of questions. "Zangetsu. I've had him ever since he was a colt. He's a strong horse, and I've thought about breeding him. Haven't decided if I want to do that, though."

"My brother used to breed horses." She spoke softly. "But that was before...." A flash of pain flitted through her eyes before disappearing.

"You...were close?" He asked carefully, not wanting to upset her. If there was one thing he hated more than a woman talking, it was a woman crying.

"Yes. He was fifteen years older than I was. When I was three, our parents died. Their buggy overturned when the horse pulling it got spooked by someone firing a gun nearby. Sora took over the family business and raised me. He was more like a father than a brother to me. Then he died, and I was left all alone until I came here." She smiled, although it was a bittersweet one.

Ichigo did quick math in his head. "So he was only thirty-five when he died? That's young. What happened?" He hadn't meant to ask, but his doctor's curiosity got the best of him. Generally speaking, a thirty-five year old man should be healthy, so there had to have been foul play involved somehow.

"He was murdered. I guess he borrowed some money, and wasn't able to pay it back. The man he owed sent two men to collect it. He still didn't have enough, and asked for more time. They refused, saying that he was out of time. Then they shot him in the chest and left him to die."

A chill raced up Ichigo's spine. Murdered? Something didn't make sense, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. It was on Ichigo's mind to comfort her, tell her that he had also lost someone close to him, but he kept his mouth shut. There were some things you just didn't want to tell anyone, and this was one of them.

The remaining few minutes went by in silence. Soon, the site of the picnic came into view, and with it, the people who were already there. Orihime's eyes were wide as Ichigo pulled the wagon next to another one and stopped.

"There are so many people here!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah. Lots of folks passing through here are surprised at how many actually live here." He helped her down, making sure she was steady on her feet before releasing her hand. There had been a few times that her bruised leg had given out, almost sending her to the ground had it not been for the cane.

For all her excitement about coming, now that she was there, she was suddenly shy, and stood close to him. "I don't know anybody here." She squeaked, her large eyes scanning everyone.

"You know me, my sisters and Miss Ise. And besides, you're new to town. Come on. My family's over here." He led the way, winding his way through the crowd, returning a greeting every so often.

Orihime followed. She could sense everyone staring at her as she limped by. She forced herself to keep her gaze fixed on Ichigo, knowing that if she lost track of him, she would be lost in this swarm of people. She managed to keep up with him, and stood silently by him as he waited for a brown-haired man to finish his conversation with a white-haired man.

When the man finally did turn around, he slapped Ichigo's back. "There's my son! Now, where is your wife? I can't wait to meet her!" He began to crane his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of his new daughter-in-law.

"Dad, she's right here." Ichigo pointed to the woman beside him.

"Why, she's even more beautiful than I imagined her to be!" The older Kurosaki gawked, then shoved his son out of the way. "I am Isshin Kurosaki. If my son isn't treating you right, feel free to come over t-" He was abruptly cut off by Ichigo elbowing him in the stomach.

"Yeah, yeah. She gets it. Now shut up." Ichigo scowled.

Isshin recovered quickly, leaning over to hiss in his son's ear. "If I had known how gorgeous she was, I would have kept her for myself!" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Dad! That's sick!" His scowl deepened as an unfamiliar feeling coursed through him. _What the.... What is this?_ He tried to shake it off, but it persisted, causing a bitter taste in his mouth and settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, Ichigo, Orihime! You two made it!" Yuzu skipped up to them happily. She looked nice in her pale, pink dress with white trim. "I wanted to see you again, but I had a lot of work to do at home because someone wasn't helping me." Here she pouted, glancing over at Karin.

"Oh, stop the guilt trip, Yuzu. It doesn't work on me." Her twin crossed her arms, glaring defiantly. She wore pants and a shirt, obviously not caring about propriety.

"Karin, I told you to go home and change." Isshin spoke.

"I know. I just don't want to." When it looked like she was about to get yelled at, she grabbed Orihime's wrist. "Let me show you around. I can introduce you to people."

"Well, I..." Orihime looked back at Ichigo, who nodded.

"Go on ahead. I'll find you when it's time to eat."

So with that, Orihime was dragged away. When there was a good distance between her and her father, Karin slowed down. "Sorry. I hate it when he yells at me."

"That's okay. I don't like getting yelled at, either."

"Then why are you still with my brother? He has an awful temper."

"He actually hasn't been that bad for a few days. I'm hoping that from now on, it will go smoothly. I'll just have to make sure I don't get him mad."

Karin looked at her in surprise. "Why? If you get him mad, just apologize and bat those gray eyes of yours. That's bound to work. It should make him fall to his knees and ask you for forgiveness. And if it doesn't work, then there's something wrong with him."

Orihime stifled laughter. Karin was so funny when she tried to be serious. She squeaked when a young boy running by crashed into her right leg and kept going. She wobbled, wincing as a burst of pain ripped through her hip. Karin grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Watch where you're going!" The black-haired girl shouted at the boy's back. "Bastard.*" She muttered under her breath, and then grinned sheepishly at the woman staring at her in shock. "Sorry. Don't tell Dad that I used that word. He'd skin me alive."

"I won't." Orihime smiled, then tilted her head back to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. "It's such a nice day out, isn't it?"

"I guess so." Karin shrugged. "I'd love to be fishing, but Dad insisted I come here instead."

Orihime opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone calling out her name. She glanced over and, to her delight, saw Nanao heading her way. "Oh, Nanao! I was wondering if I would see you here."

"What happened to your leg?" The schoolteacher cried out as she stopped beside Orihime, having noticed the cane in her hand.

"Oh, I was trying to clean the walls a few days ago and fell off the chair I was standing on."

"You fell off of a chair?" Nanao eyes her carefully, as if searching for some proof that Ichigo had been mistreating her.

"Yes, but I'm fine now. Ichigo gave me this cane to use." She smiled brightly.

"I see. Well, have you met anyone else yet?" The other woman inquired.

"No, I haven't. Karin said she was going to be my guide, but you can join us if you'd like to." Orihime offered.

"Thank you. Oh, I was also coming over here to tell you that you have quite a following." Nanao raised her eyebrows.

"Hmm?" Orihime turned a questioning look to her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Just look around." Nanao whispered.

The redhead peeked out from under the brim of her hat and gasped. There, standing in a small huddle, were several young men, staring at her. She shot a terrified glance at Nanao.

What was she going to do?


	7. Of Strangers, Admirers, and Food

Guess what? The seventh chapter for Western Princess is finally here! Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing: copper-chan, Blitch, xNocturnalxShadowx, and all the rest of you.

And (just so he can't say I forgot him XD) my awesome beta, Darth_Hawk32. Thanks for editing my chapters.

Disclaimer: Only in my dreams do I own Bleach.

* * *

"Nanao, what am I supposed to do?" Orihime asked, unable to tear her gaze away from her admirers.

"For one thing, stop staring at them. That is only going to encourage them." Nanao hissed, linking her arm through Orihime's. "How about we take a walk this way? Surely they will not follow us."

"Actually, they would. And they are." Karin spoke, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Orihime began to panic. She had never been very good at talking to strangers, especially men. She chanced a look over her shoulder.

"I said do not look. They will go away in time." Nanao said through her teeth, a fake smile on her face all the while.

"I don't think so." The youngest girl said.

Nanao glared at her. "Do you enjoy making your sister-in-law feel worse?"

Karin shook her head. "Um, I think I'm going to leave now." She muttered, and fled, hoping that she would now be able to escape to go fishing.

"Nanao, I'm married. I can't have anything to do with them." Orihime whispered.

"Because they do not know that you are married, they will continue to pursue you until they find out. Now, if one of them approaches you, let me do the talking. All right? And do not worry. Things will turn out fine." She smiled reassuringly at the redhead.

"Would you like a drink, Miss?"

"And so it begins." Nanao murmured.

"Oh, no, thank you. I-I'm fine." Orihime said nervously to the man who had approached and was now standing before her.

"Are you sure?" The man asked again. "It's warm out today, and you might get thirsty."

"She said no." Nanao stated firmly. "Now, if you will excuse us, we will be going on our way now." She steered Orihime in a different direction. "This might be harder than I thought."

"Hello, my name is Uryuu Ishida. And you are?"

Orihime stared at the man who had just spoken. He had black hair and glasses. His clothing was neat, with no wrinkles or dust evident on the fabric. "I'm Orihime Kurosaki."

Uryuu knitted his brow. "Kurosaki? Any relation to the Kurosaki family here?"

"Oh, well, no. I mean-"

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you, my dear!"

Orihime's eyes widened as a brown-haired man stumbled up. He had stubble on his chin, and he held a bottle in his hand. He halted in front of them.

"Ah, Nanao, you are just as lovely as usual."

"That is Miss Ise to you." She snapped. "And I do not appreciate your speaking to me while you are intoxicated."

He laughed. "Don't go playing hard to get, Nanao. I know these games you ladies play."

"You are infuriating, pure and simple, Mr. Kyouraku." She retorted, her face displaying her obvious contempt for the man. "Why do you not find some other woman to annoy?"

"Because for me, only you will do, Nanao." He winked and extended his hand to touch her face, to which Nanao responded with a cry of outrage as she smacked his hand with her fan.

Meanwhile, Uryuu was gently leading Orihime away from the bickering pair. "You'll have to excuse them. Whenever they meet, arguments are sure to follow."

"Who is he?"

"Shunsui Kyouraku, the town drunk. He's harmless, though, unless you're Miss Ise."

"Will she be all right?" Orihime strained to see her friend through the crowd.

"Yes, she's quite capable of handling herself. But now, I'd like to learn more about you, Miss Kurosaki."

"I'm originally from Virginia, but I moved here when I...uh...after my brother died." She had been about to say 'when I married Ichigo' but wasn't sure if he wanted it to be known.

"I'm sorry. I hope you will be happy here." He stopped by a table that had bowls of punch on it. "Are you thirsty?"

"Actually, yes, I am." She accepted the cup and took a sip. "Thank you, Mr. Ishida."

"You're welcome. Now, what about something to eat?"

"Oh!" Orihime gasped, clapping a hand to her cheek. "I completely forgot! Oh, but he said he would come find me..."

"You came with someone?"

"Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki." She replied absently, attempting to look every way at once. She missed the dark look that crossed her companion's face.

"Ichigo, hm? Well, I don't see him anywhere, and if he said he'd find you, then he will. So until then, allow me to enjoy your company." He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.

She blinked. "Um...All right..." She hesitated. Should she tell him that she was married? Or should she just let it slide? Unsure of what to do, she went along with Uryuu, but made certain to keep a distance between them, which was difficult since he had her arm.

"Uryuu!" A white-haired man walked up to them. "Where have you been?"

"I've been mingling, talking with people, Ryuuken."

Ryuuken's eyes flashed. "You need to show respect, Boy. I am your father, after all."

"I don't see a father. I see a man wrapped up in his work." Uryuu spat out.

"Watch your mouth."

Orihime felt like an intruder as she watched Uryuu and his father trade insults. This was the third fight in one day she had witnessed. She quietly slipped away, feeling relief when they didn't notice her absence. She bit her lip, not sure what to do now that she was alone. She smiled when she saw some children playing tag. She remembered chasing Sora when she was younger and how he would start to tickle her when she caught him. So many happy memories, and she had been sure that there would be plenty more of them to come. But a single bullet had crushed all of her dreams.

"You're a new face around here."

Orihime whirled around to face a woman about her age. "Y-yes, I just moved here a few days ago."

"Rukia Kuchiki." She had shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a dark red dress.

"Orihime Kurosaki." She took the hand offered to her and shook it, smiling.

"You look like you're my age." Rukia said. "I'm twenty."

"Me, too."

"So what brings you here? If you don't mind my asking, that is."

"My brother died, and I moved here from Virginia." Orihime replied.

"Your brother?" Rukia looked shocked. "You mean Ichigo?! When did he die? I could have sworn I saw him today."

The redhead giggled. "No, not Ichigo. He's not my brother."

"Oh, I just assumed since you had the same last name. Are you a cousin, then?"

Orihime tilted her head. This girl had a lot of questions. Now she knew what Ichigo felt like when she kept talking. "N-no."

"You can't be his aunt. You're too young." Rukia frowned, tapping her finger on her chin, then she laughed. "Oh, you know what? You're probably not even related. And trust me, you do not want to be related to him." She leaned closer. "He's rude and arrogant and a barbarian."

Orihime stared at her in shock. "N-no, he's not!"

Rukia blinked. "You're defending him? How do you know him?"

"He...He's my...ummm..." She was stuck. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to reveal who she was and get Ichigo mad. She was saved when a distinguished looking man with black hair called to her companion.

"Rukia."

Her eyes lit up. "Brother!" She turned and gave him a hug, which he half-heartedly returned.

"And who is this?" His gray-black eyes roved over Orihime.

"Oh, this is Orihime. She's from Virginia. Orihime, this is my brother, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Orihime gave a small curtsy. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kuchiki."

He nodded in response, then returned his attention back to his sister. "Rukia, it's time to eat."

"Oh! All right. I'll see you later, Orihime." She smiled, waved, and traipsed after Byakuya.

Orihime watched them leave and sighed. Ichigo should be coming to find her soon. She glanced around, but didn't see him anywhere. Realizing that there was no way he would be able to find her if she kept moving, she decided to stay in one spot. Besides, her leg was beginning to hurt. So she stopped and kept her weight on her left side to keep pressure off of her sore hip. She kept anxiously scanning the crowd for her husband, hoping that he hadn't forgotten about her.

_Ichigo set the tray on the small table with a clunk, and turned to face her. "Orihime let me tell you this. I may not have been expecting you to come, and I may not be entirely happy that you are here, but you are my responsibility. And I take responsibility very seriously. So you don't have to worry about anything. Got it?"_

Orihime smiled. Yes, she remembered now. He would take care of her. She didn't have to worry.

Ichigo was talking with Ikkaku and Izuru, having lost track of time as they joked around. But the conversation took a serious turn when Ichigo mentioned something he'd heard.

"I heard that the Las Noches are on the move again."

Ikkaku whipped his head around to view him. "You're kidding."

He shook his head. "I wish I were."

Izuru sighed. "That means that we'll all have to be on guard. Those outlaws are ruthless, especially their leader."

Ikkaku snorted. "Izuru is right. Aizen and his men are ruthless and cunning. They don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they want. Ichigo, do you know if it's true that they attacked a farm twenty miles away from here?"

"As far as I know, yeah. A woman was injured, and I think she almost died." The orange-haired man heard a commotion behind him, but he ignored it. "Rumor is that they're headed further out west, so hopefully that means we're safe."

"Wow, she sure is popular." Izuru commented, not having listened to a single word Ichigo had been saying.

"Who is?" Ichigo asked, turning his head to look in the direction Izuru was. His gaze found four men huddled around someone. "Ah, it's probably only Rukia with her 'look at me, I'm so sweet and charming act.' She disgusts me."

"Actually, no, it's not..."

"Then who..." Ichigo's voice trailed off as he caught sight of Orihime in the middle. His stomach turned and his fists clenched as he watched her hide a giggle behind her hand. His eyes narrowed, observing the men clamoring for her attention, each trying to outdo the other. He took a step forward.

"I think someone's jealous. Don't you agree, Izuru?" Ikkaku smirked.

The blond nodded in agreement. "He is. Any second now he's going to storm over there and give those guys a piece of his mind."

Ichigo forced himself to stay where he was. He would not allow his friends the luxury of gloating when he did just that. Besides, he was not jealous. Orihime was his wife, but to him that meant nothing. So instead of going to rescue her, he walked off, stating that he had to ask his dad something.

"...When they do end up together, I'm going to laugh in his face." Ikkaku said, watching his friend walk away.

Izuru merely smiled.

Orihime smiled at one of the men who had just offered, for the third time, to get her a drink. "No, thank you. I'm not thirsty right now."

"Just let me know when you want a drink, and I'll get it for you."

The other men started talking all at once, and Orihime looked at them in bewilderment. What should she do now? She had tried to be nice to them but still discourage them from pursuing her, but they wouldn't take the hint. Perhaps she should be a bit more forceful. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak a word, she heard someone passing from behind say something.

"Just look at him. He has that permanent scowl on his face as usual."

"Yes, I see. I don't know how he can be related to Masaki. That woman was so sweet and caring, not like her son."

Orihime sneaked a peek at the two women who were gossiping nearby. She wondered who they were talking about.

"Even though he's a doctor, he's rude. He hardly speaks, and when he does, it's always an insult of some kind."

Her gray eyes widened. They were talking about Ichigo. She couldn't just stand there and let them talk about him like that, but she wasn't brave enough to confront them, either. So she stood there as they continued to talk as they walked off. She pondered their words. Yes, Ichigo was rude. She had witnessed that firsthand. But he was also gentle. She had seen that when he examined her leg. He was always so careful not to hurt her. She was so deep in thought she didn't notice someone else come up to her.

"Excuse me, I don't believe we've ever met."

Orihime turned and looked up at the man who had sneaked up on her. "Oh, um, no, we haven't. I-I'm new here and-" She didn't notice the men behind her look angry, knowing that they couldn't possibly beat the charm of the newcomer battling for her affection.

"Oh! Say no more. We shall be acquainted soon enough." He flashed her a brilliant smile. "I am Keigo Asano, and I would be honored -no, delighted- if you would allow me to be your escort." He took her hand, raised it to his lips and-

"Hey, Keigo! Just who's wife do you think that is?"

Orihime gasped as Ichigo stalked up and glared menacingly at Keigo, who immediately dropped Orihime's hand.

"W-w-wife?!" Keigo sputtered, jerking his gaze from Ichigo to Orihime and back again. "Since when?"

"None of your business." Ichigo stated, not knowing exactly when they had gotten married. He wondered if he should ask her that way he could answer if anyone else were to ask. "Now get out of here and leave my wife alone." He stood close to Orihime as if shielding her from unwanted attention. He looped an arm around her waist, sending a silent message. Back off. She's mine.

Keigo backed away, laughing nervously. Ichigo had punched him before; it wasn't something he wished to experience again. "It...was nice meeting you. Bye now!" With a short wave, he was gone, swallowed up in the throng of people who had crowded around to watch the spectacle.

"That should keep them away." Ichigo muttered, scowling.

Admiration shone brightly in Orihime's eyes as she stared in awe at her husband. He really was a nice man, despite what the other women had been saying. Why else would he have come to her rescue like that? All the background noise faded into the distance until there was only her and Ichigo left. What was this foreign feeling? She could hear her heart pounding loudly. She could hardly breathe, and her hands trembled. Could this be what she had read about in those romance books Sora had bought for her? Could it be love?

She suddenly felt very faint and swayed slightly, only to feel a warm hand on her back and another hand grip her arm. Tilting her head back, she noticed Ichigo's face, lined with worry, gazing down at her.

"Orihime, are you okay? You're pale."

"I-I think I just need to sit down for a while." She gasped when he lifted her into his arms, and she clung to his shirt while trying to keep hold of her cane. Her cheeks burned as he carried her to some shade created by a canopy of trees. He set her down gently, kneeling beside her.

"Do you want me to get you a drink or something to eat?" He inquired, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

Orihime could feel her cheeks grow even hotter yet, and Ichigo placed the back of his hand against her forehead, and then looked at her pupils. "Your face is all red now, but you don't have heat stroke yet. Does anything hurt? Is it your leg?"

"Uh...no, nothing hurts. I think I'm just overwhelmed. I'll be fine in a few minutes. But a drink sounds wonderful." She added.

Ichigo nodded and pushed himself to his feet. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Just stay there and don't try to get up." He ordered before striding away.

Orihime leaned back against a tree, looking up into the branches. She saw a squirrel leaping from limb to limb and a bluebird chirping merrily. She smiled. She dropped her gaze back to the picnic, surveying everything. There were people, most of whom were women, clumped together, occasionally glancing over at her then quickly looking away. They were obviously gossiping about her. She briefly wondered how long it would take before they meandered over to question her again. She didn't feel like answering them, not after what they had said about Ichigo. She bit her lip. No, she couldn't be mean to them or else she would be acting just like they had been. If they wanted to talk to her, then she would be civil and reply. That was what a lady should do, and Sora had raised her to be a lady.

Closing her eyes, she relaxed. It was a beautiful day out, and she remembered times like these when she and Sora had gone for a picnic. A tear threatened to fall, but she held it back, not wanting to cry and ruin this magnificent day.

An image of Ichigo drifted through her mind. Her eyes flew open. Yes, she still had to figure out what exactly she was feeling. It was unlike anything that she had ever experienced before, and it frightened her. Her hunch that she might be in love with Ichigo crept back up. If that were the case, what should she do? He didn't love her, right? But, her rational side argued, they had only known each other for four days, so how could she have possibly fallen in love with him that quickly? But if it was indeed love, what was to say she couldn't fall in love after only four days?

She gave a frustrated sigh. She was so confused, and had no idea what to do now. _I suppose I should just take it one day at a time, then. It will come to me eventually._ She took off her hat and placed it on her lap, her lip still caught between her teeth. _I just have to think things through..._

Ichigo ignored the glances and whispers aimed in his direction as he got a drink for Orihime. He didn't care that the whole town now knew that he was married. Truth be told, he honestly didn't care what they thought of him at all. But, he knew that actually, that wasn't the whole truth. He had worked hard to establish a reputation as a good doctor, since most people, if they were in their right mind, would only use the services of a doctor that they trusted.

Ichigo stopped a few feet away from where Orihime was sitting. She had her eyes closed, and she was chewing on her lip again. He shook his head. Why didn't she ever listen to him about that? A warm breeze blew by, and he couldn't help but notice that the tendrils of hair that had escaped now waved slightly, framing her face. He walked up to her and stooped down. Noting a drop of blood on her lip, he automatically reached out a finger and gently wiped the blood away.

Her head jerked up, and her startled gaze flew to his. "I-Ichigo!"

He frowned. There, her face had gotten even redder. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He handed her the cup, still concerned. He racked his brain for anything that might explain why she was acting so strange. Nothing came to mind that fit the symptoms she had.

"Y-yes, I'm fine, Ichigo." She emptied the contents of the cup in a few swallows. She really had been thirsty.

"Okay. Do you want to get food now? Or do you want to rest for a little longer?" He inquired.

Her stomach growled in response, and she blushed. "Um, I think I should get some food now."

He nodded and held out his hand. She tentatively took it, amazed at the strength his hand possessed. Her eyes searched his, and before she knew it, she was lost in his gaze. Her mouth suddenly went dry, and she wished that she still had some punch left. She swallowed thickly, feeling empty when he released her hand to give her the cane. "Ah, thank you." She murmured, clutching the wood. At least her hand had something to hold. It tingled slightly, and she wondered if it had fallen asleep. She was startled when he moved his hand to her back and kept it there. "Ichigo..."

He looked down. "I...don't want you to fall. If it makes you uncomfortable, I could move it."

"Uh, n-no. That's fine. I like it." Her eyes widened, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, completely mortified. What had she just said?

Ichigo stared at her, not sure if he had heard correctly. "What?"

"Uh, here! I like it here. A lot. It's...it's so pretty, and the people seem really nice, and your family is nice, too. And the flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining, and the-" She stopped rambling when he put two fingers against her lips.

"I get it, Orihime. You can stop now." A smile played at the corner of his lips, and he desperately fought it down. She didn't affect him, he reminded himself. She didn't affect him at all.

Once they were in line, she allowed herself to relax. This wasn't so bad. Here she was with Ichigo, and he wasn't mad at her. In fact, he hadn't gotten mad at her all day. She smiled, completely thrilled with herself for her accomplishment. Her life here wouldn't be that horrible if they could stay this way.

The whole time they waited for the food, Ichigo stayed close to her. He didn't want to give any man the opportunity to divide them. If anyone got too close, he leveled a glare at them, causing them to stop in their tracks. He was doing this for Orihime's sake, since she seemed uneasy with the attention. That was the only reason.

He picked a spot by his family and gestured for her to sit down. He plopped down beside her and sighed. "This smells really good."

Orihime smiled and glanced at his plate. "You took a piece of our pie."

"Yeah. But you didn't get one. And here you were all excited about trying a piece." He teased her.

"I forgot." She said sheepishly. "But I don't think it would have fit on my plate."

Ichigo looked at her plate and nodded. "You did pile it pretty high." Picking up his fork, her stabbed a part of the pie and held it out to her. "Here."

She blinked. "Uh...Are you sure?"

"You said you wanted to try it, so go on."

A blush darkened her cheeks as she leaned forward and delicately ate it. Her eyes widened in delight. "Mmm! It's delicious!"

"Is it?" He tried a piece. "Hey, you're right. It is good." He winked at her. "We made a good team, didn't we?"

She nodded her head, the color in her cheeks rising. "Y-yes, we did."

"...Aww, how sweet. They're feeding each other." Karin remarked dryly.

Ichigo cursed under his breath. He had forgotten his family was here. "Shut up, Karin."

"I'm just calling it as I see it, Ichigo." She shrugged. "You two are the talk of the town now." She pointed.

Ichigo and Orihime turned to view their audience. Everyone who had been in their vicinity was staring at them. Some even had their mouths open in disbelief. The orange-haired doctor wished that the earth would swallow him up.

"So much for my reputation." He muttered.


	8. Of Bluntness, Discovery, and Terror

Finally! Sorry it took so long. This chapter didn't want to be written. But here it is. Read and review!

Thanks to my beta Darth_Hawks32 for beta-ing this chapter. You have him to thank for me getting this chapter written. It was either write it or have ninjas sent after me. Obviously, I picked the first choice.

Also, this is dedicated to my buddy, copper-chan!

* * *

Orihime felt like she was on display. She had lost track of how many times she had caught someone staring at her. That caused her to become nervous, and she ended up accidentally knocking her cup over. Luckily, Ichigo had quick reflexes and managed to avoid the spill. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to be more careful, but he decided against it. She might start to cry, and he didn't feel like having all the women scold him for making his wife cry. He just hoped that the picnic would end soon. His nerves were frayed and about to snap. Not to mention, he was exhausted from pretending that he was happy with Orihime.

"Ichigo?" Orihime whispered, breaking through his thoughts. "Can you make them stop?"

When he glanced over at the crowd, some of them quickly turned their heads away and began talking to someone by them. He scowled. Why couldn't people just mind their own business?

"They'll keep staring no matter what I say. Just ignore them." He returned his attention back to his plate.

She followed his example. _Maybe if I pretend they're not there, it won't bother me._ She tried to enjoy the rest of her food, but it tasted like dirt. She finally set it aside, having only finished half of it.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Isshin asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm not that hungry." She gave him a tiny smile.

"B-b-but you have to eat to keep up your strength!" Isshin jumped to his feet and pointed at her. "If you don't eat, how will you have strong, healthy kids?"

Ichigo choked, and Karin, with an amused smile on her face, reached over to pound him on the back. Orihime's eyes widened, her cheeks turning crimson.

"Oh, Daddy. I think you embarrassed them." Yuzu spoke, worriedly looking from her brother to her sister-in-law.

When Ichigo finally managed to dislodge the turkey that had been stuck in his throat, he glared at his father. "Keep your comments to yourself, old man! It's none of your business."

"Yes, it is! They are my future grand-babies! I want a dozen." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"This isn't some store where you can place an order." Ichigo said, an incredulous look on his face.

"But-"

"Kids are out of the question." The doctor spat out angrily.

Those six words hit Orihime hard. She bit her lip, looking down at her lap. _Of course. The letter said he liked children and wanted a large family, but Ichigo didn't write that. His father did._

Isshin sat back down, looking rather dejected. Yuzu patted his shoulder, murmuring quietly to calm him down. Ichigo had that familiar scowl on his face as he glared at his father. Karin had resumed eating, ignoring the chaos around her. Orihime, feeling sick, sipped at her punch and tried to act like his comment hadn't bothered her. After all, they hadn't really talked about children, and in order to have children, one had to-

Her eyes grew large and she nearly spit her punch out of her mouth. She quickly swallowed, praying that her face wasn't as red as she thought it was. Movement beside her caused her to glance up just in time to see Ichigo stand and walk away, muttering something about his crazy family. Karin finished shoveling the rest of her dinner into her mouth before she, too, left. Isshin and Yuzu were lost in their own little world, leaving Orihime alone.

She stacked the dirty plates together and set them beside her father-in-law, not sure what to do with them. She sighed. What should she do now? Should she stay here, or should she mingle with the towns' people? She couldn't see Nanao or Rukia from where she was, and wasn't entirely certain that they were still here. Nibbling on her lip, she decided to take a walk around. Perhaps she would meet someone new.

And meet someone new, she did. For the next five minutes, people wanting to know her name, where she came from, and how she had met Ichigo swarmed her. As they pressed closer to her, she began to feel completely overwhelmed. She tried to ask them to leave her alone, but couldn't raise her voice loud enough to be heard. She scanned the crowd frantically for a familiar face, but found none. Just when she thought that all was lost, someone yelled.

"Hey, why don't you all just leave her alone? Give her some room to breathe."

The crowd parted in the middle, and Orihime could see her rescuer. A busty woman with strawberry blond hair stood at the edge, a frown on her face and her fists planted on her hips. She wore a red skirt and an ivory shirt that, much to Orihime's shock, was cut lower than any other shirt she had seen before.

"Honestly, this is the very first time she's met you all, and you're scaring her. Is that how you treat newcomers?"

Orihime watched in relief as they started to disperse. She noticed that no one spoke to the woman and wondered why that was. Before she could come to a conclusion, however, the woman was in front of her.

"I think they'll leave you alone now. My name is Rangiku Matsumoto. You are?"

"Orihime Kurosaki." She took the hand offered to her and shook it.

"Kurosaki, hm? So are you a long-lost sister or niece?" Rangiku asked.

"Neither. I'm Ichigo's wife." Orihime stated.

"I've seen him around. So, how's he in bed?" Rangiku winked at her and laughed as a blush spread like wildfire across Orihime's face. "You must be newlyweds."

Orihime's mouth dropped open as she stared at the woman. She had never met anyone who was that blunt in her whole life. "I...well, yes, we are, but-"

"I used to get embarrassed, too, but topics like that don't make me nervous anymore. You'll be the same way in a few years, Honey." Rangiku spoke.

"Ah, I suppose, um..."

"Just call me Rangiku. May I call you Orihime?"

She nodded in bewilderment, and then studied the woman. She did seem a little strange, but Orihime desperately wanted to make a friend. Besides, she could never be so cruel as to snub a person. "Have you lived here your whole life?"

A shadow passed over Rangiku's face. "No. I moved here a few years ago."

"Do you have family here?"

"No, they died back East."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Rangiku waved her hand dismissively. "We didn't get along, so their deaths didn't bother me." She laughed. "Does my bluntness offend you? I always speak my mind."

Orihime's head spun. This woman was definitely unique, she thought as she watched Rangiku wink at a man who had been standing close by. She felt a blush burn her cheeks. Rangiku was so bold. "I've never met anyone like you before."

"Good. I know some people who would say that one of me is more than enough. Oh, I just remembered I have something I need to do, so I will see you later." Rangiku smiled and walked off.

"Bye." Orihime spoke. She stood there for a minute to get her thoughts under control. Rangiku exuded confidence and charm, two traits that Orihime had often wished she possessed. Her lips curved into a smile. Yes, she would definitely make some friends here. She could hardly wait to see Rangiku again and learn more about her.

Orihime jumped when a hand touched her back. Swinging her head around, she relaxed upon seeing her husband beside her.

"You shouldn't be daydreaming like that. Something could happen to you." He cautioned, his scowl deepening slightly.

"Sorry. I don't mean to daydream. It's just that I start thinking and then I lose track of what I was doing and where I was going and-" His finger against her lips stopped her ramblings.

"Orihime, I get it. You don't have to keep talking."

She nodded, pink tinting her face. A group of children laughing caught her attention, and she smiled as their mothers chided them, telling them to behave themselves. Tilting her head curiously, she frowned. So far, she had met Ichigo's father and sisters. What about his mother? She turned her gaze upward and studied his face. Maybe she was sick and hadn't been able to come. There was one way to find out.

"Ichigo, where's your mother?"

He stiffened. "She...passed away a while ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose someone you loved, Ichigo." She lightly touched his arm, only to have him jerk it away.

"Someone needs to see me. I'll be back."

She watched as he strode away and sighed. She couldn't say anything today without hurting someone. She hugged herself, feeling very upset.

When would she learn to think before she spoke?

Despite Ichigo's warning, she found herself lost in thought once more. She snapped out of her trance when raucous laughter drifted over from her right. Peering in that direction, she saw a man leaning against a tree and talking with another man. There was something familiar about that laugh, but she couldn't put her finger on it. A shudder ran through her body. Where had she heard it before? Another burst of that same laughter sparked an image in her mind.

She was hiding under a desk. Someone was outside the room, trying to break in. He said something, then left, laughing.

The pieces clicked together. This was the man who had pulled the trigger and ended her brother's life. This was the man who had sworn to get her next time. The world began to spin, and she desperately tried to stay conscious. She didn't want Ichigo to get mad at her for fainting again. Taking in slow, deep breaths, her hazy vision began to clear, but her body wouldn't move. Her legs felt so heavy. All she wanted to do was run away, but she was paralyzed. Only one thought ran through her mind.

He was going to find her, and then he was going to kill her.

Ichigo forced himself to calm down. It had been an innocent question. How could she have known that his mother had died? It was a sore subject, he knew. Ever since that day thirteen years ago, he had barely spoken about it. He had tried not to think about it, either, but that no matter what he did, it was always at the back of his mind, tormenting him. That one thought was present when he went to sleep, when he woke up, and every minute in between.

_It's all my-_

"Thank you for coming to meet me, Ichigo."

Ichigo stopped and looked at the man who had spoken. "What do you need, Byakuya?"

The black-haired man twitched at the use of his first name. "I need to know when Renji will be able to get back to work."

"I already told Ikkaku he'll probably be out for another three months."

"Are you certain that he cannot come back sooner than that? There is a lot I need to have done."

"I'm positive, Byakuya. Renji is in no condition to even think about going back to work. Right now, he needs to concentrate on recuperating. Then he can worry about work."

Byakuya and Ichigo stared at each other. Because neither of them wanted to be the one to give in, they were not budging an inch. Finally, Byakuya gave a nod.

"Very well. Then Renji will have to find himself a new job after he recovers." He turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Ichigo's eyes flashed as he stepped forward. "You can't do that to him! It wasn't his fault he got hurt and can't work."

"And I cannot wait for him to come back. I need help now. Since he is unable to work, as you say, I have no use for him anymore. I will find someone else to take his place."

The doctor grabbed his arm. "I swear, Byakuya. If you tell Renji he's fired, I will kill you."

The regal-looking man lifted his chin slightly, not affected by the comment. "Is that so? A doctor taking a person's life? That is something you do not see every day."

The orange-haired man narrowed his eyes. Did Byakuya's words have some kind of hidden meaning in them? Surely he couldn't be talking about _that._

"I must be going now. I have a position to fill. Good day."

Ichigo watched the man as he walked off. He couldn't believe it. That bastard had just fired one of his best workers. He cursed loudly, not caring if anyone overheard. He was half-tempted to call after Byakuya and give him a piece of his mind, but knew that the Kuchiki's mind was already made up.

He rubbed the back of his neck. This was just great. Just when he thought his week couldn't get any worse, it did. He let out a sigh, then decided to collect his wife and leave. He was too tired to stay here any longer. Wondering if Orihime was still in the exact spot he had left her at, he headed that way. Two minutes later, he came upon her rooted to the ground. Her face was pale, and she was biting her lip again. Frowning, he touched her arm. "Orihime?"

She gave a cry, flinching away from his hand. Their eyes met, and he was surprised to see a glimmer of fear in her eyes. "Orihime?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." She lied. "Um, Ichigo, do you mind if we leave? I'm kind of tired, and my leg hurts."

"I was actually coming to tell you that we're leaving. I need to check on Renji." _And catch some shut-eye._ He thought to himself.

"All right. Let's go." She began to move towards the place where the wagons were.

Ichigo cocked his head to the side. Something was wrong. Although he'd only known her for a few days, he could already tell when she was upset over something. He followed her, all the while keeping a close eye on her. He wasn't sure if she was going to faint or not, but he wanted to be ready just in case. She didn't need to fall and re-injure her leg. He rushed forward when she started to climb into the wagon by herself. Grabbing her arm, he hissed at her. "Why can't you wait for me to help you? Do you want to get hurt again?"

She gave him a wounded expression. "I'm sorry."

He waited for her to continue speaking, but she didn't. Now he knew that she was lying. Normally, if he had scolded her, she would have launched into an explanation as to why she had done that and how sorry she was. He shrugged. If she didn't want to talk, that was fine with him. He climbed in next to her, waved to his father, and slapped the reins across Zangetsu's back. The wagon lurched forward, and Orihime held onto the side with a death grip. As they passed by the murderer, she made sure to keep her face turned away from him.

She couldn't let him know who she was.

The ride home was silent. Much to Ichigo's surprise, he had come to expect her talking nonstop and didn't quite know what to do now that she was mute, but he wasn't about to strike up a conversation with her. Once back at the house, he assisted her off the wagon and led Zangetsu to the barn. He gave the stallion a rubdown and some oats, and then headed to the office. He debated about telling Renji what Byakuya had said but decided against it. The injured man was asleep when Ichigo entered the room. He gave him a quick look-over and was satisfied when there was still no infection. Crossing over to the window, he stared blankly into space.

What should he do now? As far as he knew, Renji was out of a job, and Ichigo didn't know of any place in town that was hiring. Unless, of course, that creepy store owner Kisuke Urahara needed help. He ran a hand through his already messy hair. There really wasn't anything he could do. He'd hire Renji himself, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to pay Renji. There were times Ichigo didn't even get paid. Or, if he did, it wasn't with money, but with canned foods, chickens, and one time he had even gotten a goat. Needless to say, Yuzu had adopted the animal and taken it back to her house. He hadn't minded, though. That was one less animal he had to feed.

The doctor let his mind drift to his family. Even though Yuzu was the youngest, she had become the woman of the house, so to speak, after the death of their mother. She cooked and cleaned, did the shopping, and patched up their clothes. Karin, on the other hand, wasn't as domestic as her twin. She was more apt to be outside, fishing or riding her horse. She even helped their father with the farm chores, much to his disapproval. Isshin wanted his little girls, even though they weren't so little anymore, to be well behaved, proper young ladies. Yuzu had no trouble with that, but Karin was a tomboy through and through, as was evident by her choice of clothing. Ichigo had lost count of how many times Karin had been grounded because she had refused to obey Isshin's order to wear female clothes.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. And his father. Who could forget that old man? He was so irritating, and acted like a child. There were times that Ichigo had felt like the man of the house instead of his father. He shook his head, grinning ever so slightly. Even though Ishhin was a pain, like Orihime had said a few days before, he was still family.

Then there had been his mother. Masaki Kurosaki had been the most wonderful woman he had ever known. She was so loving and kind, and then she had been cruelly snatched away. He closed his eyes to block the memories, but they swarmed past and invaded his mind. She'd had long honey blond hair, and a beautiful smile. He remembered that he always wanted to play with her hair. He'd combed and braided it so many times. She had been the glue holding the Kurosaki family together, and when she had died, they had begun to break apart. He wasn't sure how they had managed to stay together, but they had.

A flash of pain shot through his hand. He glanced down and noticed that he had been clenching his fist tightly, his nails digging into his skin. He relaxed his grip. That was enough remembering today.

Orihime had barricaded herself in the bedroom as soon as she had gotten home. She was so terrified that he had discovered who she was and that he was going to burst into the room at any second. She gave a strangled sob. He was going to come here and murder her, just like he had Sora. Maybe he would even use the same gun. Her heart nearly stopped beating. No, she couldn't think like that. She had to think positively. Maybe he had no idea as to who she was. After all, she didn't know if he knew what her name was. He had called her "Girl" so obviously he hadn't learned her name. So she was safe with that. But if word got out that she had moved here recently from Virginia after her brother's death...

She shuddered. How many people had she told that? Ichigo knew. So did his father, and Nanao knew, as well. Oh, and she couldn't forget Uryuu Ishida.

Pressing a fist to her mouth, she choked back a sob. There was four people who knew already. What if they had told other people, too? The whole town could possibly know by now. She flew into a panic and dashed to her trunk, making sure that everything was in there. She had to get out of here. If she wanted to live, she had to run.

She shut the lid, and then slumped to the floor beside it. Hot tears leaked from her eyes, but she didn't try to stop them. She knew she was defeated. She was going to die. If he did in fact know who she was and had followed her here, then it wouldn't matter where she escaped to. He would always find her.

What if this was some kind of sick game he was playing? Like a game of cat and mouse where she was the mouse and he was the cat trying to corner her and enjoying the chase?

_Sora, I wish you were still alive! I need your help! Please._ But there was no reply. She had known that there wouldn't be one. Sora was dead. He couldn't help her now. Truth be told, he was actually the reason she was in this predicament. If he hadn't borrowed money from whoever their boss was, he would still be alive, and she wouldn't have answered the ad and become a mail-order bride. She knew it wasn't fair to blame him. There was no way he could have foreseen the future.

She curled into a little ball on the floor, ignoring the pain in her hip. She didn't feel like moving to lay on the bed. She only wanted to sleep and not wake up until this nightmare was over.

When dusk finally came, Ichigo hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should continue to sleep in the office, or if he should now move into the house since Renji didn't need constant supervision. Then again, there was still the slight possibility of an infection, so maybe he should stay here for a few more nights, at least. He wavered in his decision upon looking at the chair on which he had been sleeping for the past few days. It wasn't comfortable at all, and he had the sore body to prove it. He would give anything to be able to stretch out on his bed.

But it wasn't just his bed anymore. Orihime slept there, too, unless he wanted to make her sleep on the couch. However, he knew that he would never hear the end of it if he did that.

He scratched his head and sighed. He should go check on Orihime. At the picnic a couple of hours earlier, she had mentioned that her hip hurt. He should have checked it when they had first come home, but he had gotten busy with Zangetsu and then Renji. Grabbing the bottle of laudanum, he made his way to the house. Silence greeted him when he opened the door. The first thing he did was check the living room to make sure that she hadn't decided to wash the walls again. He didn't find any evidence that she had been in there, and checked the kitchen next, praying that she hadn't gotten it in her mind to try to cook on her own. But she wasn't there, either.

That left the bedroom. Grumbling under his breath, he walked down the hallway and knocked on the door. There was no way he was going in without announcing his presence. He didn't want a repeat of what had transpired the last time he had done that. When there was no response, he frowned, and pushed the door open. "Orihime?" His eyes widened when he saw her lying on the floor. He hurried to her side and immediately felt for a pulse. He found one and sighed in relief. He assumed she was just really tired and had fallen asleep. But why on the floor? He picked her up easily and carried her to the bed. He paused, then slowly began to lift her shirt up to take it off. She stirred and he jerked his hand away. She rolled over onto her side and was soon breathing evenly again.

No, he decided. He would just take her shoes off. She could sleep in her clothes. He was never going to undress her. So he did just that and left, quietly shutting the door behind him.


	9. Of Panic, Awakening, and Teeth

Yay! Chapter nine is finally up! Thank you for your patience and also for your reviews.

Thanks also to my beta, Darth-Hawks32. (By the way, I hope those rabid Chappy the rabbit wannabes didn't ruin your computer by hopping on it XD)

And again, this chapter is dedicated to copper-chan!

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Orihime woke up slowly the next morning. She stretched her limbs and started to snuggle back under the covers. Catching sight of her trunk, she froze. How could she be resting at a time like this? Her life was in danger and she could do nothing to save herself. Panic welled up inside of her, and she struggled to stay calm. It would do no good if she panicked. She had to stay calm.

Pushing the covers away, she wondered how she had ended up in bed. She was certain she'd fallen asleep on the floor. A blush crept across her face as she realized that Ichigo had probably carried her to bed. She stood up, cringing when pain ripped through her hip. She probably shouldn't have fallen asleep all curled up.

Orihime limped over to her trunk. She bit her lip. She would have to wash her clothes soon. She had worn all of these already, but she picked out a skirt and shirt that didn't look too dirty or wrinkled. Quickly dressing, Orihime opened the door a crack and listened for any movement. The redhead then moved down the hall into the living room. She paused in front of the window and stared outside. Judging from the position of the sun, it was around 7:30. _I hope he doesn't get mad that I slept in. I can't believe how well I did sleep. I thought for sure that I would have nightmares._

Her heart nearly stopped. Here she was, standing by a window in plain sight of anyone passing by. With a cry, she sprung forward and yanked the curtains together. She began to feel the same panic that she had felt the night before. _I have to be calm. If I panic, it's all over. I'll make a mistake, and that will be the death of me._ The young woman drew in a shuddering breath. She could do it. As long as she thought about what she said, everything would work out.

Ichigo shifted on the chair. He was stiff and very sore from the uncomfortable position he had been sleeping in for the past five days. He kneaded the sore muscles in his neck, sighing. He missed his bed, but there was no way he was staying there with Orihime.

The front door opened. Ichigo stood up. "Rukia? What are you doing here?"

"I brought some of Renji's clothing." She held out a bag. "I figured he could use them."

Ichigo nodded and took it. "Is your brother here?" He asked flatly.

"No, he had some other business to take care of today."

"You mean you're here without an escort?"

Rukia lifted her chin. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No." Ichigo leaned back in his chair, his hands on the back of his head. "I don't care what happens to you. Your horse could throw you or you could get lost and I wouldn't miss you."

Her violet eyes flashed. "Care to say that again?"

The man lying on the bed, stirring slightly, groaned just then. Rukia's eyes softened as she stared at him. "How's Renji?"

"As good as can be expected. He should heal up nicely." His scowl deepened.

"You look like you want to kill me."

"Not you, but your brother."

"You want to kill Byakuya?" She cried out in alarm.

He said nothing, knowing all too well that if he were to open his mouth, he would let loose all his frustration on her. Rukia frowned at him, and then looked back down at Renji, a small smile on her face.

"I'll have to thank Renji sometime. Who knows? Maybe my brother will give him a bonus or even a raise for saving my life." Her smile faltered upon seeing Ichigo's face darken. "What's wrong?"

"He already did repay Renji for saving you. He fired him."

Rukia gasped. "What? There's no way Byakuya would do something like that! You're lying."

"He did, Rukia. I wouldn't lie about that."

She stared at him for a few seconds, and then focused her gaze on Renji. "...I see." She turned towards the exit.

"You're not going to say anything to him?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"The reason I came by was to give you the clothes. Nothing more." She stated. "I have to go now before someone discovers I'm gone." She whirled around and headed out the door.

Rukia had only been gone for a few seconds before Ichigo grumbled. "Why did you have to save her life, Renji? Life would be so much better with her gone."

There had been a note on the kitchen counter telling her to go to the office when she woke up so he could make her some breakfast. But Orihime didn't have much of an appetite, so she nibbled on an apple instead. The house was dark since she had closed the curtains over each window, but she would rather stumble around in the dark than risk being noticed by her brother's murderer. There was one downfall of the darkness. It made her even tenser since she couldn't see that well, and she jumped at every little sound that she heard. Before she entered a room, she paused to listen for anything out of the ordinary. She was met by silence.

But even if he had found her and managed to sneak inside, what was to say that she would be able to hear him? After all, he wanted her dead, so he would be as quiet as possible. She hated the fact that she was so nervous, but she couldn't help it. He had killed her brother. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

A small voice in the back of her head told her that she couldn't keep this news to herself. What if she couldn't handle it on her own? What if she needed someone's help? But, she reminded herself, the fewer people who knew, the better. She didn't want any innocent people to be injured in her behalf.

Orihime tangled her fingers in her hair. If she kept thinking about her problem, she would go crazy. She had to think about something else. She had to keep busy.

She chewed on her lip, and then her face brightened. "Of course! I didn't get to finish cleaning the walls! And I'm sure that there are other things that need to be cleaned, too." She quickly found the cleaning supplies and dragged a chair into the living room. She hesitated, thinking about what would happen if Ichigo discovered her, but only for a second. She didn't want to dwell on it. Doing chores would be the distraction that she so desperately needed.

Clutter on the desk in the corner caught her eye. She wrinkled her nose. Perhaps she would clear that off first. She wasn't sure where everything went, but she could at least just make a neat pile. Humming to herself, she began to stack the papers, being careful to keep them in the same order she had found them. Once that was done, she smiled. Curiosity pulled her towards a drawer on the side. She knew it wasn't good to snoop around. She consoled her conscience by reasoning that she could tidy up the contents. Her fingers wrapped around the knob and she slowly pulled it open. Papers were stuffed inside.

"How can he stand his house being so messy? If Sora saw this, he'd be horrified." She grabbed the papers and pulled them out. Setting them on the desk, she reached a hand inside the drawer and felt around for anything else. Her fingers brushed against something metallic and cool to the touch. Frowning, she lifted it out and held it up for examination. Her eyes widened.

It was a gun.

She screamed and immediately dropped it to the floor. A hollow _thud_ followed. She backed away, her body shaking and memories swirling around in her head.

A gun was firing.

She was screaming.

_No. No. No! _Orihime staggered backwards. Her hip protested the sudden movement and she collapsed to the floor. She pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. He owned a gun. Killers owned guns. Just like her brother's murderers.

What had she done? What had she gotten herself into? Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered the blood spilling from the wound in her brother's chest. Fear crept into her mind. What if Ichigo was one of them? He owned a gun, so he couldn't be trusted.

What should she do now? She drew in a ragged breath, pulling herself to her feet. She had to get that gun back into its place before he found out that she had discovered it. But she couldn't bring herself to touch it. Hysteria threatened to overtake her as she slumped against the back of the couch. What if Ichigo took out his gun and killed her in the middle of the night? If anyone asked where she was, he could say that she had left and gone back to Virginia, and no one would be the wiser.

Instinct told her to flee, but the voice of reason in her mind forced her to listen. If she ran, whoever was after her would only pursue her. Maybe if she stayed here, they wouldn't risk trying to kill her. After all, Ichigo was a doctor. Who knew when someone would come asking for his help? It would be too risky. Or so she hoped.

She would just have to be more careful from this point on. She would have to take note of her surroundings more often. But she could do it.

Steeling herself, she reached down and cautiously gripped the handle of the gun. As quickly as she could, she dumped the weapon back into the drawer, making sure that it was in the back just like before. Then she replaced the papers and shut the drawer.

The adrenaline that had pumped through her body now began to slowly fade away, leaving her feeling slightly weak. She wanted to sit down, but knew that if she did, she would only worry about her situation more. So she forced herself to keep busy.

Ichigo tapped his pen on the desk. There wasn't anything to do. He had already read the newspaper that Chad had dropped off. He heard Renji groan and glanced over.

"...What day is it?"

"Sunday."

"How long have I been here?"

"It will be a week this Tuesday. You've been in and out all this time. Sometimes you were more coherent than other times. Oh, yeah. Rukia stopped by earlier." He watched for any change of expression on his patient's face. There was none.

"What did she want?" Renji tried to rise to a sitting position, but the room began to spin around him.

"Easy, there. You've lost a lot of blood, plus you've been lying down for the past five days. Not to mention you haven't had much food or water, so you're very weak right now." Ichigo stood up and made his way over to the side of the bed. He helped Renji sit up, putting some pillows behind him to prop him up. "That should help. She brought by some spare clothes for you."

"That it?"

"Yeah." The doctor poured some water into a cup and held it to Renji, who took it and drank from it. "Slowly, Renji."

"I'm thirsty." He stated.

"You're feeling well enough to complain. That's a good sign. You're definitely on the road to recovery." Ichigo took the cup and placed it on the side table.

"When can I go back to work?"

Ichigo froze. He didn't want to be the one to tell Renji that he had been fired. "...Not for a while. The bull got you bad, Renji. Three months at the least."

The red-haired man sighed and leaned back. "I can't wait until then. There's nothing to do."

"Hey, you just woke up and already you're saying you're bored? Be thankful you're alive. If that bull had hit you an inch more to the right, you would have died on the spot. And nothing I could have done would have saved you." Ichigo grabbed the newspaper and tossed it at Renji. "There. Read that."

Renji looked at the front page. "The picnic was yesterday?"

"Yeah. It was a good one, too." Ichigo spoke. _Besides the people staring at me and asking me questions._

"There's a picture here of you and that woman who claimed she was your wife." Renji said, pointing to a picture.

Ichigo scowled. That was the first thing he had seen when Chad handed him the newspaper. He hated having his picture taken. He couldn't remember seeing anyone with a camera, but that didn't mean that they weren't there. Whoever had snapped it, though, was lucky that Ichigo hadn't seen or their camera would have been smashed into pieces.

"I thought she would have left by now." Renji continued.

"She would have if I hadn't said she could stay if she wanted to. Turns out my dad was the one who sent the ad." Ichigo tried to ignore Renji's laughter. "You know," he finally said, "if you keep laughing like that, you'll tear the stitches. Or, at the very least..." Renji groaned, holding his stomach. "...Hurt yourself. Told you."

Renji took in a deep breath, wincing as he did so. "I'm okay."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, you're not. You're going to hurt for a while, but it would be best if you didn't do anything to aggravate it. I'll give you some laudanum. That will help."

"I don't want laudanum. What I want is food. I'm starving."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I can't think of a time when you weren't hungry, Renji. You're like a bottomless pit." He sighed. "I don't want you eating solid foods yet. You can have some soup."

"That won't fill me up." The other man protested.

"Too bad. That's what you're getting."Ichigo rose and headed for the door. "I'll go make you some soup."

"Your wife can't do that?"

"She doesn't know how to cook."

More laughter followed by a groan of pain echoed through the room. "Your dad sure knows how to pick them."

Ichigo paused. He wasn't entirely sure what Renji had meant by that. He was about to ask him when the door opened and Karin nearly ran into him.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Her brother immediately picked up on the fact that she was upset and wanted to talk about it. After ordering Renji to stay in bed, he grabbed hold of Karin's shoulder and steered her outside. "Okay, what's up?"

"It's Dad again. He won't leave me alone. He keeps repeating that I have to act like a lady if I ever want some man to notice me. I don't care! I wouldn't mind being an old maid. Men only marry because they want to have sons to carry on the family name. That and they don't want to cook or clean for themselves." She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Oh, thanks, Karin. I'm glad to know that you think I'm a chauvinist man. Yeah, the only reason I married Orihime was because I was tired of cooking and cleaning."

"You clean?" She raised an eyebrow. "Don't make me laugh. Yuzu and I do all the housework for you."

"Okay, fine. I was tired of cooking for myself."

"You didn't mention anything about kids."

Ichigo glared at her. "Don't you remember what I said yesterday at the potluck? Kids are out of the question."

"You may be saying that, but Dad and Yuzu already have their minds made up."

Ichigo groaned. "Will he ever stop meddling in my life?"

"Nope. And now you know what I feel like. I should be wearing a dress or skirt, not pants." She rolled her eyes.

"You know, it probably wouldn't hurt to compromise a little. Why not just wear skirts when you go to town or have company over and wear pants at home?" Ichigo suggested.

Karin looked at him as if he had just lost his mind. "Are you serious? Ichigo, I hate skirts. I don't want to wear them and nothing you or anyone else says will change my mind." Her black eyes glinted with anger. "You men are all the same!"

Ichigo touched her arm. "Hold on a minute, Karin. I was only trying to help. It doesn't bother me if you wear pants instead of skirts. But if you want Dad to stop bugging you, then I would advise you to listen to what I said. That's the only way."

"Do you know what will come after that? The second I begin wearing them, he will go out and find some man who will marry me. I am never -let me repeat that- _never_ going to get married." She stated vehemently.

"Never say never, Karin. I thought that, too, and look at me now." He pointed towards the house. "I have a wife in there."

"True, but it wasn't your choice to get married. The old man decided for you."

"Will you stop arguing with everything I say? It gets annoying real quick."

"Sorry."

He put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Karin. You'll get through this. We both will."

She nodded, but still looked unconvinced. "If you say so. Oh, by the way, why are your curtains closed?"

Ichigo gave her a confused look. "What? I opened them this morning after I ate breakfast."

"Well, they're closed now." She shrugged.

"What is she doing now?" He muttered, now irritated.

"I have no idea. Hey, I have to go now. I wanted to go fishing today, but Dad said I couldn't. I want to at least catch some fish before he finds me." She hurried off, waving good-bye.

Ichigo watched her leave before turning back to the house. He strode towards the door, his mind racing with different scenarios. Just what exactly was his wife doing in there?

Orihime squeaked as the chair beneath her wobbled. She held her breath, not daring to move until the chair was steady once again. Five seconds ticked by, and she didn't fall. She grinned. So far, so good. Standing on her tip-toes, she reached far above her head. She still had trouble reaching the top part of the walls, but at least she could get most of it.

She sneaked a glance towards the desk. She could see the gun in her mind, and feel it in her hands. _Sora, I'm so scared. I don't know what to do._ A tear dripped down her cheek and she impatiently brushed it away. She didn't have the time to cry.

Focusing once more on the wall in front of her, she neglected to hear the front door open and close, and the footsteps that, after starting to go down the hall, suddenly stopped.

"What in the world do you think you are doing?"

Orihime shrieked and lost her balance. She could feel herself falling backwards and was powerless to do anything to halt her fall. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for the impact. She hit something solid, but it wasn't the floor.

She tilted her head back and found that she was staring directly into a pair of brown eyes. It somehow registered in her hazy mind that she was once again in his arms, held tightly against his chest. For a moment, she relaxed. But then he opened his mouth.

"Didn't I tell you to stay off of the chairs? What were you thinking? If I hadn't been here, you could have killed yourself."

His voice snapped her out of her trance. _He's going to kill me. I have to get away._ She struggled against his hold.

That only made him tighten his grip. "Hold on. Let me make sure you're okay."

"No. Let me go. Let me go!" She screeched, flailing her arms and kicking her legs.

"Hey, stop that! You're going to hurt yourself." Ichigo scowled. What was wrong with her? She was acting like he was going to do something to her. "Orihime, stop it." He felt something wet drip onto his skin, and he glanced down. It was a teardrop. He blinked. She was...crying? "Orihime, what's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No, let me go!" Fat tears cascaded down her face as she attempted to break free. _I can't die. Not yet!_ In desperation, she closed her mouth around the part of his arm that was closest to her face and bit down hard.

Ichigo swore and yanked his arm away. "What was that for?"

Orihime took the opportunity and escaped across the room. She looked back at him. He was still standing there, his expression a mixture of shock and anger. He took a step towards her and she, acting on pure instinct and driven by fear, bolted down the hall to the safety of the bedroom. Once inside, she leaned against the door, though deep in her mind she knew that if he really wanted to he could break it down in an instant.

Without warning, her body refused to hold her weight any longer and she slid down to the floor. She buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow.

Ichigo, meanwhile, rubbed the back of his neck while he stared at the mark on his forearm. He wondered what had gotten into his wife. Thinking back, he realized that she had seemed fine yesterday when he had last seen her awake. Then again, he had been in the office for a few hours after that. Maybe something had happened during that time frame.

Walking over to the hallway, he eyed the closed door. She was crazy. Maybe she had escaped from one of those mental institutions, he thought vaguely. That would be just his luck. He cursed again, slamming his fist on the wall. He had thought that everything was going smoothly, but this event caused him to reconsider.

After he had cleaned the bite mark, he left, not even bothering to knock on the bedroom door and ask if she was all right. He didn't care.

It wasn't until he was back in the office that he realized he had forgotten to make the soup for Renji.

Orihime's stomach growled, and she remembered that she had barely eaten anything at all today, save for the apple that had been her breakfast. She raised her tear-stained face, listening for any indication that Ichigo was still in the house, waiting for her to come out. There was only silence.

She shakily stood up. She still felt weak, but whether it was from fear or hunger she wasn't entirely sure. She made her way to the kitchen, using the wall for support. She noticed a pot sitting on the stove, and took off the lid. There was some soup inside. Her stomach rumbled again, and she was tempted to get a bowl and eat but didn't want to take any chances that he had slipped something lethal into it. After all, he was a doctor and had access to different drugs.

But in the end, her stomach won. She took a small sip, trying to identify a taste that didn't belong. She could taste different herbs but didn't have the knowledge to distinguish one from the other. As long as she didn't fall over dead, she supposed that it was okay to eat.

When she had finished, she washed the bowl and spoon and placed them back where they belonged. She hung around the kitchen uncertainly, trying to decide what to do. She nibbled on her lip. She was ashamed that she had reacted so badly when Ichigo had frightened her, but she had been so scared and so desperate. She didn't know if she could trust him anymore.

Was there anyone in this little town that she could trust? She didn't know, but she sincerely hoped that if there were any trustworthy people here that they would show themselves to her as soon as possible.

Before she drove herself insane with her worries and fears.


	10. Of Books, Dreams, and Paint

Orihime's brother was murdered in cold blood. She was there as a witness. Granted, she didn't see Sora get shot, but she heard it. I don't know about you, but that would freak me out. Since she lived in Virginia, there probably weren't too many people who had guns. She moves to this town out west, married to a complete stranger. She was already subjected to his temper many times, and was scared of him. Now she finds a gun in his desk drawer, a weapon just like the one that was used to kill her brother. I think she's allowed to be a little paranoid.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Ichigo was in a foul mood, and he didn't care who knew it. It didn't help that Renji was getting on his nerves, complaining about his boredom. The doctor was half-tempted to give his patient a drug to make him sleep so he could get some peace and quiet. He was so irritated, and he felt like he was going to explode. Forcing himself to breathe deeply, he could feel the tension in his muscles begin to slowly seep out and leave his body.

A sigh escaped his lips as he stared blankly at the house. What had gotten into Orihime? She had been behaving strangely for the past two days, ever since the picnic. Whenever he came within five feet of her, she began to tremble as though she were terrified of him.

He frowned. He had told himself that he wouldn't dwell on it, and what was he doing? He uttered a curse.

"You've been pacing back and forth like a caged animal for twenty minutes now. What's up?"

Ichigo stopped. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not been aware he had been pacing. "It's nothing."

"Yeah, sure. That hole you wore into the floor tells a different story." Renji spoke. He was sitting up in bed, and he looked better. His face wasn't pale, and he had regained some of his strength.

"Very funny, Renji." Ichigo said dryly.

"There has to be a reason." The bedridden man eyed the doctor, who was ignoring him. "Come on, humor me. I don't have anything else to do."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "There's nothing to say."

Renji sighed and leaned against the pillows. "Fine. Be that way. I'm just going to keep annoying you until you do tell me."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "You won't get anything out of me."

Renji narrowed his eyes. "What's on your arm?"

He looked down. The bite mark was clearly visible since he had rolled his sleeves up. "Uh, nothing."

A snicker passed the patient's lips. "Looks like things got a little rough between you two."

"Shut up! That is not what happened.." Ichigo stated, his brown eyes flashing.

"Okay, alright. I believe you. Not." He grinned.

Ichigo strode purposefully over to a cabinet filled with medicine. He rooted through the bottles, finally selecting one. "Let's see. This one will keep you asleep for a while. Want to give it a try?"

Renji shut his mouth. He knew that Ichigo would carry through with his threat to drug him. Grumbling to himself, he closed his eyes. Maybe he could sleep some time away without using drugs.

_A soft moan came from an empty room. Soft light from the full moon spilled in from the window, illuminating a young man and a woman embracing._

"We shouldn't be doing this. Someone could see-" She was cut off rather abruptly by his lips on hers.

"Don't say another word." He whispered, his hot breath fanning against her neck. "If you don't speak, then they can't catch us." He brushed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Besides, don't you trust me?"

She looked up at him, her eyes shining brightly. "With my life."

"Then don't worry. No one will ever discover us." He leaned down to kiss her once more. As he did, _there was-_

Orihime, startled by a knock at the door, nearly fell off of the couch. Saving her place in the book she had been reading, she stared in that direction, wondering if she should answer it. Nibbling on her lip, she tilted her head, then went back to her book.

_-a rustling outside the room, but neither of the lovers heard it. They were too intent on each other, so it was a complete surprise when the door was flung open wide._

"Get away from my daughter!" An older man roared. "I should have known that you would try to pull something like this!" He took a menacing step toward the other man, but the girl dashed between them.

"Please, don't do this, Father!" She cried out. "I love him!"

Another knock, this time it was more persistent. Orihime sighed and, after marking her page, got to her feet and padded silently over to the window. Since the curtains were still closed, she slid her finger behind the fabric and pulled it away from the window, her heart pounding loudly. She relaxed upon seeing a familiar face.

The redhead tapped a finger on her chin.. They had met at the picnic, but what was her name? She snapped her fingers. Rangiku. Staying by the window, she observed the older woman. Rangiku was wearing an outfit similar to the one at the picnic, just different colors and pattern. Orihime smiled slightly. She seemed to be nice. If only they could talk some more.

Orihime let out a small screech when a finger tapped on the glass. Pressing a hand to her chest, she focused on Rangiku's smiling face.

"I can see you in there. Come on, open the door."

Orihime hesitated, then slowly made her way to the door. She twisted the knob and, almost immediately, Rangiku burst into the room.

"I wasn't sure if you were home or not, so I didn't knock right away. I figured you and Ichigo were probably having some alone time." She winked, and then laughed at the blush spreading across Orihime's face. "Newlyweds. It must be nice."

"Ah, it's not anything like that!" Orihime waved her hands in front of her.

"You don't need to be so shy, Orihime. We're both women here."

"I-I know, but it's not-"

Rangiku held a hand up. "Say no more." Glancing around the room, she frowned. "It's so dark in here. Why are all the curtains closed?"

Orihime bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "I...like it dark. It feels so comfortable and, um, soothing." She finished rather lamely.

"Uh-huh." Rangiku looked unconvinced. "I haven't seen you around lately. You need to get out and meet some people."

Her heart stopped. "No! No, I'm fine. I'm actually quite shy around people I don't know very well."

"How can you be shy? You answered an ad for a mail-order bride and married a complete stranger. That's not shy."

"H-how did you know I answered an ad?"

"Considering how you're new here, and Ichigo has never left Karakura, that's the only logical explanation." Rangiku tugged on Orihime's arm. "Come on, I'm taking you to town."

"What? B-but I can't go. I don't have any money." She said.

"You have a husband, don't you? And he has money, right? So go ask him for some money. I'm sure he'll say yes."

Orihime's face paled. "I can't ask him."

"And why not?"

"I-I haven't talked to him since the day of the picnic." She confessed, her eyes downcast.

Rangiku stared at the young woman before him, momentarily speechless. A few seconds later, she regained her ability to talk. "Did you two have a fight?"

Orihime thought back to the time that he had caught her on the chair. Yes, she supposed that could be counted as a fight. After all, she had kicked, hit, and bitten him. A shadow fell over her face. She sincerely regretted her actions, but she had been so terrified. She nodded.

"What was it about?"

Orihime shook her head. "I can't say." Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. No matter what, she had to keep her secret. Her life depended on it.

"Well, then I can't help you."

A tear dripped down the girl's face. "He has a gun."

Rangiku gave a small huff. "Almost all of the men here own at least one gun, Orihime. It's for protection."

"Protection?" She echoed.

"Yes. There are bears and snakes around here. Not to mention, the Las Noches gang is nearby. A person would have to be crazy to walk around without a gun."

Orihime pondered what Rangiku had said. Could it be that the gun was truly for protection only? If that was the case, now she really felt guilty about the events two days ago. "I made a horrible mistake." She whispered in horror. "I thought that...the gun..."

"I'm assuming you came from the East."

Her head jerked up. "H-how did you know?"

"I was the same way with guns." She said softly. "I was terrified of them. They were loud and dangerous. But then I met someone, and he helped me to see that, while guns are dangerous, they are also used for protecting those that people care about. He saved my life with a gun."

Orihime's mouth opened in an 'O' shape. "So I don't need to be afraid?"

"No, you don't, Honey. Ichigo is a very good doctor, and he takes his work seriously. He would never hurt someone on purpose."

"I guess I should apologize." She murmured.

"That would be a good idea." She touched her young friend's arm. "And remember this. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

That one sentence brought tears to Orihime's eyes, and she covered her face with her hands. She had made such a mess of things once again. Why couldn't she do anything right? N_o, stop it. I can make this right again by apologizing. I have to be brave, but I can do this._ She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Thank you, Rangiku."

"Glad I could help. I don't want to see your marriage fall apart." Her eyes held a sorrow that told of hardship. "Anyway, go wash your face. You can't go looking like that to your husband." She shooed Orihime off to the bathroom, and then turned and stared blankly out the window. _Where are you now? Gin._

Orihime gulped and slowly swung the door to Ichigo's office open. Peeking inside, she noted that Renji was asleep, and it looked like Ichigo was, as well. She stepped inside and quietly shut the door. She opened and closed her mouth, not wanting to wake him up. She crossed over to his side and gazed at him. His eyes were closed, and his head was resting on the desk. Strands of his orange hair had fallen into his face. Orihime tentatively reached out and brushed them away. She was reminded of another time she had done this.

He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. A smile tugged at her lips. She had to admit, he was handsome, too. She could get lost in his chocolate eyes, and somehow, the scowl he always wore made him appear more attractive. Her fingertips danced lightly along his jaw, his cheekbone. Then they traveled down to his lips.

She traced them, idly wondering what it was like to be kissed. Back in Virginia, there had been plenty of men who had wanted to court her, but Sora turned down every single one of them, not even bothering to ask her opinion. Truth be told, she had never actually talked very much to a person of the opposite gender, aside from her brother.

Now, she was married and had no idea what to expect. Her cheeks flushed as she thought about what was inevitable in marriage. But he had shown no interest in consummating their marriage, and she was secretly glad. It terrified her. Sora had been tight-lipped about the subject, and her tutors had declared it improper to speak of the intimate act. But perhaps Rangiku would be able to help. She seemed to be knowledgeable about a variety of matters. Yes, the redhead decided, she would have to question her older friend.

Speaking of Rangiku, she was probably getting impatient. Orihime didn't want to disturb Ichigo's slumber, but she really needed to know if she could borrow some money. Touching his shoulder, she gently shook him. "Ichigo, please wake up."

Ichigo groaned and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He had sat down not long after Renji had fallen asleep and had soon joined him in slumber. Now someone was calling his name, but he refused to answer. It felt good to sleep. He had been up most of the night, thinking about the situation with Orihime. It disgusted him how much it bothered him. She didn't mean anything to him, so why did it affect him so much?

"Ichigo."

Terrific. Now she was even in his dreams. He could see her lips forming his name. He could hear her speak-

That wasn't a dream. She really was here, right in front of him. He blinked his eyes to clear his vision. "What?" His voice was rough from sleep.

"Um, I need to say something." She looked uncomfortable as she stood there, fidgeting with the folds of her skirt. "I'm sorry about earlier. You...scared me, that's all. I shouldn't have reacted that way, but I did. I apologize for biting you." Her eyes lowered to the mark covered by his shirt.

He blew out a breath. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. We'll call it even." He held out his hand, and, after a moment's hesitation, she took it.

Her gray eyes brightened a little, and she gave him a tiny smile. "There's something else, too. Rangiku is here, and she wants to take me to town. So I came to ask if I could borrow some money."

Ichigo hid a yawn behind his hand. "Just go on to town. Tell them my name and what you need, and they'll send me the bill. I don't want you carrying any money. It's dangerous."

Orihime nodded. "Okay. How much do you want me to spend?"

He shrugged. "I don't know how much it will cost for whatever you want. I know you mentioned before that you wanted to buy some more clothing."

"Yes, but I know how to sew. I can buy the material and make the outfits myself."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow in surprise. She actually knew how to do something useful. "Um, okay. That's good. So we don't have to pay for a tailor."

A huge smile graced her lips. "I-I should go now. Rangiku is waiting for me. Good-bye."

"Yeah, bye." He watched as she quickly left, and then shook his head. What had just happened?

Orihime hummed softly to herself as she and Rangiku ambled along the road. She felt so much better now that she had apologized and understood why he kept the gun. There was a skip to her step, and Rangiku couldn't help but notice it.

"Something good must have happened in the office." She noted.

Orihime tilted her head. "No, not really."

"Right, and my eyes are green."

"Your eyes aren't green! They're a very light blue!" Orihime said, squinting to see her companion's eyes better.

"...I know."

"Then why did you say they were green?" She asked, confused.

"I- oh, never mind." The older woman sighed. "We'll stop by the Urahara Shop first. He usually has everything that I need, and he keeps his store well supplied. You should have no problem finding what you need."

The remainder of the walk was spent in silence, as both of the women were lost in their own thoughts. Orihime barely noticed the curious glances she was receiving as she and Rangiku climbed the steps to the front door. A bell above the door rang to announce their arrival, and almost immediately afterwards, a man, wearing a striped hat over his messy blond hair, poked his head above the counter.

"Ah, customers! Come in, come in!" He stood to his feet, motioning them to come closer with his hand. "What can I do for you ladies today?"

"We're just browsing right now, thanks." Rangiku spoke and pointed a finger towards an aisle. "You'll find materials down there."

"Ah, thank you." Moving in that direction, Orihime stared at the many bolts of fabric, unsure of where to begin.

"Are your underclothes presentable?"

Orihime squeaked at the voice that sounded right by her ear. "I-I'm not sure. I suppose they are."

Rangiku laughed. "Then you had better make some new ones just in case. I'm surprised that you didn't think of this before you came to Karakura. Didn't your mother help you sew new clothing for your marriage?"

Orihime looked down. "No, she died years ago."

"What about any other family? An aunt or sister?"

"Neither of my parents had siblings, and I don't have a sister." She replied.

"So you were all alone, then?" At Orihime's nod, Rangiku tapped her chin. "So that must be why you accepted Ichigo's proposal, correct? After your father died?"

Orihime fixed her gaze on a powder blue fabric. Rangiku had mistakenly believed that her father had been alive until recently. Although she hated to refrain from correcting her, she thought that it would be safer if Rangiku continued to believe that. Also, Orihime had only said that she had no sisters. Rangiku had not asked about any brothers, so the young woman hadn't said that she had no siblings at all. She had only answered truthfully that she was the only daughter. And besides, Sora had been more like a father than a brother to her. So would it be considered lying if she didn't say otherwise? But the woman couldn't ignore the fact that there were people who knew that it was indeed her brother who had died. Indecision pulled at her, and she wavered. What should she say? She drew in a breath.

"No." Orihime answered finally. "It was my brother who died, and I simply had no other choice." Mixed emotions coursed through her. She was relieved that she hadn't lied, but wary that someone would still discover her secret. Although, she thought, the only person who knew that Sora had been murdered was Ichigo. The petite redhead doubted that he would tell anyone.

"Oh." Rangiku fell silent as she studied some material.

"Are you finding everything that you need?"

The two women turned to see the store owner standing there, leaning against a shelf. "Yes." Rangiku spoke.

"Just give me a call if you can't find something." He eyed Orihime. "I saw you at the picnic, but didn't get a chance to talk to you. I'm Kisuke Urahara, the owner of this fine establishment." He smiled.

"The store is just as crooked as his grin." Rangiku hissed harshly in Orihime's ear.

"I heard that." Kisuke scowled, but then his face brightened when a black cat pranced into the room. "Ah! There you are. I was wondering where you went to.." He leaned down, picked the animal up, and cradled it in his arms.. "This is Yoruichi."

"Oh, she's adorable!" Orihime squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Actually, Yoruichi is a he." Kisuke corrected, grinning, and then winced when the cat scratched his cheek. "You're feisty today, aren't you?"

The cat, narrowing his eyes, hissed in response and licked his paw.

"May I pet him?" Orihime asked.

"Of course. Go on ahead."

She reached a hand out and petted the feline's head. "You're so cute, you know that?" She was rewarded with a purr, and she giggled.

"I think he likes you." The blond man spoke, scratching under the cat's chin.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. It takes a very special something to get on this animal's good side. He can be grumpy when he wants to be."

Rangiku suddenly gasped, drawing the attention of the other two people. "Orihime, this fabric is perfect for you!" She held up a bolt of tan fabric to Orihime's face. "It goes well with your complexion."

Orihime's eyes widened. "It's beautiful!" She gently touched the material with her finger.

"You have to buy this, Orihime. It would make a wonderful dress. And just imagine your husband's reaction to it." Rangiku winked.

"Hm, indeed. You would look stunning in that." Kisuke murmured, rubbing his chin. "And if you would allow me to, I'm positive I can find more fabric suited for your complexion."

"Oh, thank you, but I-"

"It would be no problem." He tipped his hat forward.

Yoruichi let out an angry meow as his master unintentionally squeezed him tightly. The cat then leaped out of Kisuke's arms and, after hissing darkly, scampered into the back room behind the desk.

"Heh, just like I said before. Very temperamental." The businessman sighed. "But back to the matter at hand. Material for new clothing, hm?" Muttering to himself, he began to browse the shelves, pushing some fabrics out of the way, putting them back, or tossing them aside. Soon, a pile had formed around his feet.

"I hate to be a bother. You honestly don't have to do this." Orihime clasped her hands in front of her.

"As I mentioned before, it's no problem. Now, where did I put that one?" He grunted as he yanked another bolt of fabric off the shelf. "Aha! There you are." He reached to the far back and, when he brought his arm back out, he was holding a dark blue fabric. "This...would make the most beautiful dress ever." He gave it to Rangiku for inspection.

The woman nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. So this one and the tan one are both a definite yes.. Now, on to the underclothing."

"Rangiku!" Orihime protested, her cheeks burning.

"I didn't hear anything." Kisuke responded with a grin. "But I will leave you two women alone now. I'll be behind the desk if you need assistance." His voice drifted back to them as he walked off.

Rangiku hummed a tune while looking through the white fabrics. "There aren't very many to choose from, are there?"

"No, white is white. There isn't a difference between them." Orihime replied with a heavy sigh. She glanced around and her eyes widened when she saw cans of paint stacked across the room. "He sells paint, too?"

"It's a general store. He sells basically everything." Rangiku gave her a curious look. "Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe I could repaint the walls. They're so plain and boring." She wrinkled her nose.

"Ah, because they're all a white color." The older woman said in understanding. "Yes, you do need color to help brighten up a house. I'll help you pick out some colors."

"B-but shouldn't I wait for Ichigo? I mean, it is his house, after all. I don't want to make him mad." She said worriedly.

"Why are you always so worried about what he thinks, Orihime?" Rangiku moved to the young girl's side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I just don't want to make him mad." She repeated.

The strawberry-blond haired woman peered intently at her friend's face. "Orihime, has he hit you at all?"

"Oh, no!" Orihime's expression was shocked. "He just has a horrible temper. Like Yoruichi, almost."

Rangiku burst out laughing. "I have never heard of him being compared to a cat. That is really something, Orihime. But in all seriousness, just buy the paints. I'm sure Kisuke would allow you to return them if Ichigo doesn't want you to use them."

"Well, okay." Orihime agreed, still somewhat reluctant.

"I think browns and blues would look nice." Rangiku tapped her chin thoughtfully as she wandered over to the cans of paint.

Orihime allowed her thoughts to wander as she stared out the window. It amazed her as to how calm she was despite all her misgivings about appearing out in public. The bell above the door rang. She looked over and jerked in fright when that man walked in.

Her brother's murderer.

He looked over, making eye contact with her. His eyes slowly slid over her small frame before he nodded approvingly, and dipped his hat to her.

Her face paled and the room began to spin again. Quickly grabbing onto the windowsill, she managed to hold herself upright. Her heart pounded louder and louder as he swaggered over to where she stood.

"I saw you at the picnic the other day, but didn't get a chance to introduce myself. I'm-" He was interrupted by a screeching cat that flew towards him and attached itself to his leg. "What the-"

"Oh, my. I'm sorry. My cat has problems with newcomers, especially men." Kisuke hurried over and pried Yoruichi off of the man's trousers. "There we go. Now, you bad kitty, no milk for you for the rest of today." He shook a finger in the cat's face.

The stranger growled, spun on his heel, and stormed out, calling over his shoulder, "You haven't heard the last of this."

Rangiku rushed over to Orihime. "Are you all right?" She turned to Kisuke. "I think she's in shock or something. I'm going to take her to my house to rest. Would you be able to send her packages to Ichigo's house?"

Kisuke nodded. "I'll have either Jinta or Ururu take it over." He stood back and let Rangiku pass by, supporting Orihime. He leaned against the window.

"I don't like this, Yoruichi. I don't like this one bit." He glanced over at the feline, and then studied the man entering the saloon. _Grimmjow, just what are you doing here?  
_


	11. Of Death, Guns, and Snakes

Thanks to all who have faithfully reviewed these past chapters of Western Princess! Another thanks to my beta, DarthHawk32, for reading through this and editing it. Enjoy!

* * *

Orihime, sitting on a chair in Rangiku's house, clasped her hands together. She could sense her friend looking at her, but didn't raise her head.

"Orihime, what's wrong? I thought you were going to faint when that man walked in. Do you know him?"

Orihime silently shook her head. "I-I have no idea who he is." She replied.

Rangiku smiled. "Nice try, Orihime. But I can see right through you. I'll ask you again. Do you know him?"

Tears shimmered in Orihime's gray eyes. "Not really. I-I've never met him in person. I only heard his voice a few months back."

"Go on." The older woman urged quietly.

The young girl glanced around nervously. "I can't. I'm sorry." Her voice cracked, and she pressed her fingers to her mouth.

"Oh, Honey." Rangiku stretched out her arms and enveloped the girl in a hug. "Just cry. It will make you feel better."

Orihime clung to her new friend desperately, the sobs shaking her small body. As she sat there, holding onto the woman, she couldn't help but think, was this what it was like to have a mother? Her own mother had died when she had been only three, so she didn't remember much. In truth, she was scared. She had been living with the fear that some day, the murderer would come back for her and kill her. For the first few weeks after her brother's death, she had spent many sleepless nights, just waiting for the man to return and fulfill the threat he had left her with. What made it worse was the fact that she hadn't had anyone to talk to and confide her fears in.

But now, Orihime had Rangiku. She could trust her, right? She wavered in her decision. Maybe if someone else knew of her situation, she could rest easier. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke.

"M-my brother was murdered about seven months ago." Orihime felt her companion stiffen.

"Oh, you poor girl." Rangiku pursed her lips. "That must have been horrible. So is that why you accepted the ad?"

"I didn't have anywhere else to turn. I was all alone, and I was scared." Tears filled her eyes again, but she forced them back. "Scared that the murderer would come back like he said..."

Rangiku placed her hands on Orihime's shoulders and pushed her away so she could see her face better. "Orihime, what are you saying? Did you witness the murder?" The anguished look on the girl's face told her the answer. "No wonder you're so scared. Did he see you?"

Orihime shook her head. "No. I was in my brother's office. I-I didn't see him, either, but I know what he sounds like."

"Good, so you can identify him if you ever see him again. That's a good..." Her voice trailed off. "Orihime. Tell me something. That man who walked into the Urahara store; is he the murderer?"

"I don't know what to do! He's so close to me! If he finds out where I'm from and what my name before I got married was, then it's all over!" She burst out frantically.

"Shh, shh. Orihime, you need to calm down." Rangiku said soothingly. "You can't think clearly if you're so upset."

"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all that." She sniffed.

"Don't apologize. What's done is done." Rangiku smiled. "You can trust me, Orihime. I won't tell anyone."

Orihime felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders as she gave a tiny smile in return. "Thank you, Rangiku."

"Don't mention it, Honey. What are friends for?"

The clock struck eleven, and Orihime gasped. "Oh, my! It's almost noon! I should get home so I can make Ichigo some lunch!"

Rangiku laughed. "Just this morning, you were terrified of him, and now you can't wait to get home to cook for him?"

She blushed. "Well..."

"Ah, I know that look. You're falling in love with him, aren't you?"

"Wha-? N-no, I'm not!" Orihime furiously waved her hands in front of her. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Don't deny it, Honey." She wiggled her eyebrows. "You ever need advice, just come visit me. I can help."

"Oh, Rangiku!" Orihime yelped, covering her face with her hands.

The woman burst into laughter. "Orihime, you are so funny. Go on home and cook for your husband."

"I'll see you later, Rangiku. And thanks again!" After a quick hug, Orihime was out the door and hurrying down the road.

Rangiku stood in the doorway, watching her young friend leave. Something was bothering her, and she knew that it was because of what Orihime had said. _That man. I know I've seen him somewhere before. Could it be that..._

* * *

Ichigo, standing by his desk, clenched his fists. Byakuya had stopped by five minutes ago, and had coolly told Renji that he was no longer employed by the Kuchikis. The injured man, of course, had been shocked and outraged. He had, along with Ichigo, tried to persuade Byakuya to change his mind, but the man stood firm in his decision.

After the initial shock had worn off, it was replaced by a sense of doom as Renji stared blankly into space. "What do I do now?"

"I'm sorry, Renji. I knew he was planning this, but I was hoping he would change his mind." Ichigo said with a scowl. "I just can't believe he had the nerve to fire you after you saved his sister's life. You would think he'd be more grateful."

Renji's lips formed a thin line. "He's been looking for a reason to fire me for a while now. I knew it was coming eventually."

"Wait a minute. You're one of his best workers. Why would he want to do that?" Ichigo questioned, his brow furrowing.

"...He wants to protect his sister."

"And firing you will protect her how?"

"He found out somehow, probably from Kira while he was drunk, that I've been saving money so I can take care of a wife."

"So? You would still work for him, right?"

"That's partially the problem. I had been planning on asking his permission to court Rukia."

Ichigo's mouth dropped open. "Seriously? Even though you've denied it time and time again, you're admitting it now?"

"Yeah, why not? It's not going to happen now." He sighed.

"You don't know that for sure." The doctor argued.

"I didn't even know if he would say yes if I did get the money. Look, it doesn't matter now, Ichigo. I have to find another job, and Rukia will never be mine." Renji closed his eyes. "I have to accept that."

Ichigo sat back in his chair, stunned. He couldn't believe that Renji was willing to give up so easily. He was about to say something when the door flung open.

"Doc! You gotta help me! It's my boy!" A man with graying brown hair burst into the room, carrying an unconscious boy.

Ichigo, recognizing the man as Takuya Fujiwara, jumped to his feet, his brown eyes already surveying the damage. "Put him on the bed." He ordered briskly. "What happened?"

"He fell out of the hay loft in the barn."

"And you moved him? You should have gotten someone to get me!" Ichigo cursed. If the boy had injured his back or neck in the fall, then his chances of making a full recovery now were slim due to the move and the jostling wagon. He gritted his teeth and began gently probing the boy's body, looking for any indication of broken bones or internal bleeding.

"How is he? Is he gonna be okay?"

"I need you to stay outside. I have to concentrate, and I can't do that with you hovering over me." Ichigo snapped. For a moment, he wasn't sure if the man would listen, but then the floorboards creaked, and the door hinges groaned. He breathed a sigh of relief before his face turned serious. "Okay. Let's do this."

* * *

Orihime trudged slowly up the walkway to her house. She was still embarrassed over her behavior at the store. Her cheeks burned. Had she really almost fainted again? And that wasn't even the worst part. She had spilled her most guarded secret to Rangiku. Although she was certain that the older woman wouldn't tell, she was still scared. That man -that murderer- was still walking around as a free man.

She heard a commotion up ahead and, curious to know what was wrong, began to walk in the direction of Ichigo's building. She had just reached the door when it flew open, and a man came barreling out, almost knocking her over.

"Watch where you're going!" He growled.

Orihime let out a small squeak and she jumped back, wringing her hands nervously. The man's eyes raked over her before he turned. "Let's see how many patients you have after I tell them what happened!" He yelled through the open doorway.

"Yeah, yeah! Just get outta here!" Renji yelled back.

Orihime waited until the man was gone before peering inside. She noticed her husband slumped in a chair, his hands covering his face. Her nose caught the scent of blood in the air. Her stomach squirmed and threatened to send her lunch to the surface, but she fought it down. She took a tentative step inside. "I-Ichigo?"

He didn't reply.

Swinging her gaze to the only other person in the room, she frowned. "What's wrong with Ichigo?"

Renji was silent for a time. He finally nodded his head in the direction of the other bed.

Her heart sank. There, covered with a stark white sheet, lay a body. It wasn't very big, still a child. Tears filled her eyes. "What happened?"

The recovering man just shook his head. "Not now."

"Oh..." Orihime nodded slightly. In the next few days to come, this would be a sore subject for Ichigo.

There was a loud _crash_ as Ichigo shot up from the chair and stormed out.

Renji sighed. "He couldn't save him. Kid fell out of a barn loft. Might have survived if his father hadn't moved him."

"Poor Ichigo." Orihime murmured. She could tell from the mess around the boy that Ichigo had tried so desperately to save him. She felt a tear drip down her cheeks, but she didn't bother wiping it away. She stared at the door, wondering how long it would take Ichigo to recover from this devastating blow.

For the next three days, Ichigo rarely spoke, instead opting to grunt. His appetite diminished, and a scowl became permanently fixed on his face. Karin and Yuzu had dropped by to attempt to cheer him up, but he ignored them. Orihime watched as her husband sunk deeper and deeper into the depression, not sure what she could do. If his sisters couldn't even snap him out of it, then how could she?

Since Renji was well enough to not need constant supervision, Ichigo had moved back into the house. Orihime had let him use the bedroom and slept on the couch herself. Had Ichigo been in his right mind, he would have insisted that she use the bedroom. But in his numb state of mind, it hardly registered that something was off in their relationship.

Nightmares started up again, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't rid himself of them. He would wake up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and disoriented. Then he would traipse to the kitchen for a glass of water and go back to bed. And thus the cycle would continue.

The fourth day after the boy's death found Ichigo slumped in the chair in his office. Renji, lying in bed, was silent, realizing that the doctor would not speak even if spoken to. The silence was broken by the door hinges creaking and Chad walking into the room.

"Hey, Chad." Renji greeted him.

"Nice to see you doing good."

"Yeah, but if it weren't for Ichigo, I wouldn't be here today. He's a good doctor."

"If I'm such a good doctor then why couldn't I save that little boy?" Ichigo exploded, his fists clenching.

The two other men gaped at him. "Ichigo, you can't say that." Renji spoke.

"Yes, I can. A good doctor should be able to save every single patient that comes to him."

"What kind of world are you living in, Ichigo?" Renji gave a short laugh. "That only happens in dreams or fantasies."

Ichigo slumped in his chair. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a doctor like I thought I was."

"Ichigo, you can't go on like this."

The orange-haired man simply stared blankly at his Mexican friend. "What do you mean?"

Chad lurched forward, his hand closing around Ichigo's shoulder. "How long are you going to think that just because one patient of yours died, it's the end of the world? How long are you going to just sit around and do nothing? You need to be preparing yourself for the next case that comes your way. If you sit here, moping and thinking about what you could have done, how will you respond to your next patient? If all you think about is your regret and guilt, what good will it do? It will just interfere with your abilities. You will not be thinking straight and you could end up making deadly mistakes. Do you want that to happen?"

Ichigo blinked slowly. Once again, Chad was right. He had much to regret in his life, but he had to keep moving. He couldn't stall like this every time something horrible happened. A crooked grin appeared on his face. "Yeah, thanks, Chad."

"Hm." The tall man nodded. "I have to go now."

"It seems like you always do that. You yell at me and then you leave." Ichigo joked.

Chad started for the door, then stopped, turning his head around to look at his friend. "Oh, yeah. I just remembered. Takuya Fujiwara was in the saloon earlier today. He kept saying over and over how he was going to make you pay for the death of his son. So I thought I'd warn you so you can be prepared."

"Thanks, Chad, but I'm sure he was drunk and not aware of what he was saying. I think I can take care of myself."

"You can, but she can't."

"Who?" Ichigo asked.

"Orihime. Your wife. He might try to get to you by her."

The doctor laughed. "I don't think so. It's probably been found out that my idiotic dad set us up, and that we have no feelings towards each other."

The Mexican studied the man, not sure if he should try to tell him that Fujiwara probably didn't care if they loved each other not not. He would be willing to use anything, or anyone, to get his revenge. He figured that Yuzu and Karin would be safe since they lived with Isshin. Although he hardly knew anything about his friend's father, he had heard rumors that the older man had been registered in the army at an earlier point in his life before meeting his wife and settling down.

In the end, Chad decided to just let the subject drop, saying good-bye to both Renji and Ichigo before leaving to go back to his blacksmith shop. Ichigo would have to find out on his own.

That night, Orihime was asleep on the couch when something woke her up. She lay very still, shaking and afraid. Had the murderer come for her? Terror rose in her, and she couldn't decide if she should just lay there or go get Ichigo for help. Not that she would have been able to go for Ichigo. Her legs were like jelly and wouldn't support her weight.

The noise came again, and she realized that it had come from the bedroom. Had the man thought that she was in there and gone through the window? He was probably killing Ichigo by now. Tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn't meant for anyone else to get hurt because of her, and now her husband was dead. Although they didn't love each other, she still cared in some way for him.

A cry tore through the air, but it was not one of pain. It was one of anguish.

Without thinking, Orihime jumped to her feet and dashed down the hall to the bedroom. Flinging the door open, she discovered Ichigo asleep, his eyes squeezed shut and his fists clenched tightly. "Ichigo?" Realizing that he was having a nightmare, she hurried to his side and gently shook his shoulder. "Ichigo, wake up. It's only a dream. I'm here. Don't worry." She said soothingly, carefully running her fingers through his orange locks.

He didn't wake up, but his body relaxed. Orihime let out a sigh of relief, then smiled. She wasn't sure what the nightmare had been about, but if she had to guess, she would say that it had something to do with the boy's death a few days ago. When a few moments had passed by and he was still sleeping peacefully, she stood up to leave, but a slight pressure on her wrist prevented her from doing so. Startled, she glanced down and, as a blush rose on her cheeks, she noticed that his hand was wrapped around her arm, keeping her in place.

_Wh-what should I do?_ She panicked. Her free hand hovered over his, contemplating if she should try to remove it. She touched his hand gently and quickly yanked her hand away. _What am I doing? I can't touch him. It's so...Oh, I don't know. I can't stay here, but if I move too much to try to get away, I might accidentally wake him up. I don't want to do that._ Orihime bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She tried to pull away once more, but stopped when he spoke.

"Don't...leave..." He murmured.

Her heart rate accelerated. What was he saying? Did he honestly want her there by his side? Or was he finally going to consummate their marriage? _No! Don't think about that. Would he really...I don't..._ She closed her eyes, waiting for him to make the first move, but nothing happened. Peeking an eye open, she saw, to her great relief, that he was still asleep.

"So, I was worried over nothing, huh?" She giggled quietly, then yawned. _I'm tired. Maybe I'll just lay down for a bit until he lets go._ She carefully slid onto the bed and curled up, keeping a safe distance between the two of them. Her gray eyes fluttered shut, and though she desperately tried to remain awake, she lost the battle and she fell into a deep sleep.

_It's so warm._ That was Ichigo's first thought upon awaking the next morning. As he blinked to clear his blurry vision, it registered in his mind that there was a person lying next to him. He jerked away, and saw Orihime lying there, fast asleep. His face became red, and he tried to remember what had transpired the night before. The last thing he remembered was climbing into bed and pulling the covers around himself, and he had definitely been alone. So why was she there?

Scratching the back of his head, he yawned. Maybe she had sleep-walked into the room. He didn't care. The bed shifted as he swung his legs over the edge, and his wife stirred.

"Mm..." Her eyes opened slowly, then widened as she caught sight of Ichigo. "Oh!" She cried out, embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that you were having a nightmare and I was worried about you so I came back here and then you calmed down but grabbed onto my hand when I tried to leave and I didn't want to wake you up so I just laid down and I guess I must have fallen asleep."

Ichigo stared at her, his brain working furiously to comprehend what she had just said. "Uh...a nightmare?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded vigorously.

_Haven't had one of those in a long time._ He thought bitterly.

"Um, d-do you want to talk about it?" She questioned hesitantly.

"No."

Orihime bit her lip and looked down. "Of course. What was I thinking? It's your personal business." Laughing nervously, she avoided his gaze.

"Yeah., it is." He stood up. "Get dressed."

"Huh? Oh! I'm still in my nightgown, aren't I?" She blushed.

"Just get dressed." Ichigo spat out before stomping to the door and slamming it shut. He leaned against it. _A nightmare. I can't believe she saw it. I hoped that I was old enough to not have anymore. Guess I was wrong. _ Pushing away from the door, he headed to the kitchen. He had breakfast to make.

After breakfast, Ichigo went to the living room to select a few books for his patient. Renji was almost well enough to leave, but Ichigo still didn't want him to do anything too strenuous. His gaze slid over to the desk drawer that held his gun. He hesitated. Should he really take that step?

With a determined look in his eyes, he stepped over to the desk, slid the door open, and pulled out the gun. It was a Colt handgun, one of the best. He checked it over, making sure it was loaded, then slipped it back into the holster and clipped it on his belt.

"Orihime, I'm going to the office now." He called out.

"Ah, okay!" She hurried to the room he was in, a towel in her hands. She had just been drying dishes, but wanted to ask him a question before he left. "Do you think it would be all right for me to make lunch on my own?"

Ichigo turned. "I'm not sure. I think maybe a few more days, then you can." He waited for her to object, but she said nothing. "Orihime?" He followed her gaze to the gun strapped to his side. "Yeah, I decided I should wear this. Chad said yesterday that Fujiwara was going for revenge, so I'm going to need this."

She gulped. "R-right. So I'll come get you at lunchtime, then. I should go finish the dishes." With that, she scurried off, leaving Ichigo there, confused.

Once the dishes were finished, Orihime wandered outside to pick some flowers for the table. Sitting down, she soon became lost in her thoughts. Ichigo had a gun. Rangiku had said it was for protection. Ichigo said it was for protection. Should she believe them? She wasn't sure. But then she recalled the look she had seen in the father's eyes and acknowledged that yes, he would be a threat. She relaxed. The gun was, indeed, for protection.

Now that she had come to terms with the gun, what of her growing feelings towards Ichigo? She buried her face in her hands, feeling her cheeks become warm. With each passing day, she became more and more certain that she was in love with him. She knew that he most definitely did not love her, since he had proclaimed so many times that she was annoying. The romantic side of her said not to worry, that he would fall for her soon. The more practical side of her said that he would never fall for her.

Orihime sighed. Why was she worrying about it? Because she knew that deep down, if he didn't return her feelings, she would be upset.

A rattling derailed her train of thought and she looked around. Where had that come from? It sounded again, this time a little closer. "H-hello? Who's there?" A slight movement in the grass nearby caught her attention, and she squinted to get a better look. Her gray eyes widened in horror as a brown snake coiled itself together, the rattle on its tail shaking menacingly.


	12. Of Memories, Rescue, and Desks

Yes! I am back! Sorry for the long wait for chapter 12, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it XD So read and review!

Thanks to my beta Darth_Hawk32 for editing this rather quickly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Ichigo raised his head, listening. Something was wrong. His wife was quiet. Too quiet, actually. Had something happened to her? His chest tightened as a thought struck him. What if Takuya Fujiwara had gotten hold of her, believing that it would be revenge against Ichigo? He had to check on her. He didn't know if he would be able to handle it if someone else died on his account.

He jumped to his feet and bolted to the door, swinging it wide open. His brown eyes frantically scanned the surrounding area, and he prayed that she had not wandered away. His gaze latched onto a figure sitting very still in the grass about seven feet away. He could tell from the red hair that it was Orihime. Breathing a sigh of relief, the doctor stepped forward. "Is your hip bothering you?" He frowned when she didn't respond. "Orihime, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Ichigo heard something, but wasn't sure what it was. He took another step and then froze upon hearing the telltale sound of a rattlesnake. His heart stopped.

"_Mommy, there are pretty flowers over here!" He called out._

"_All right, I'll be over there in a minute." The red-haired woman answered._

_The young boy grinned. "Okay." He sat down on the ground and began poking an earthworm that was wriggling around. When he tired of that, he looked at the scenery around him. It was a beautiful spring day. The flowers were in bloom. Birds swooped gracefully in the air. There were no clouds in the brilliant, blue sky. He sighed._

"_Mommy, when can we go back to the house?" He asked._

"_As soon as I pick some more of these flowers, Honey. You know your father likes it when I have some on the table."_

_The boy picked up a stick and traced his name in the dirt. I-c-h-i-g-o. He scowled and erased it with his hand. The letters had been too messy. He screwed up his face in concentration, the tip of his tongue sticking out, and tried it again. The 'h' was crooked. He angrily scratched it out and threw the stick into the tall grass._

"_Ichigo, what's wrong?" His mom asked from a few feet away._

"_I can't write my name like you do."_

"_Just keep trying, Ichigo. You'll get it soon." She said reassuring him._

_He smiled and opened his mouth to speak when he heard a rustling in the grass nearby. Rising to his feet, he paused when he heard an ominous rattle. He peered in that direction and was terrified to see a snake coiled tightly a foot away. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He wanted to move, but his muscles were frozen._

"_Well, I think I have more than enough flowers. What do you think, Ichigo?" His mother turned to face him. "Ichigo? What's wrong?" Her voice took on a worried tone. "Answer me, Ichi-"_

_The snake's rattle shook._

_Her face paled. "Ichigo, don't move. Stay as still as you can." She slowly stooped to the ground and grasped a rock in her hand. Her eyes remained fixed on the snake as she carefully advanced, trying not to spook it._

_Ichigo watched out of the corner of his eye as his mom inched closer. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He was barely breathing. The woman raised her arm, but just before she could throw the rock, a flock of birds took off from a nearby tree._

_The snake lunged. Ichigo felt his head hit the ground, and he blacked out from the impact._

_When he came to a little while later, he struggled to focus his eyes. He felt heavy. He couldn't lift his limbs. Was he dead? His brown orbs flew open wide when he saw his mom lying on top of him. He crawled out from under her body and knelt beside her. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. "Mom? Mommy, wake up! Why are you sleeping? You have to wake up, Mommy!" He touched her arm._

_She didn't reply._

_He locked his gaze on a mark on her arm. He leaned down closer to it and saw two fang marks._

"_No. No, Mommy. Wake up." A sob escaped his lips. "Get up, Mommy!" But he knew it was useless. His mother was dead. She had died because of him. An anguished scream rose in the air._

Bang!

Orihime screamed. In an instant, Ichigo was beside her, pulling her to her feet. He could feel her whole body trembling and knew that she wouldn't be able to walk even the short distance to the house. Not even bothering to check to see if the snake was dead, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the house. He succeeded in freeing one hand long enough to open the door. He strode through the doorway, kicking the door shut with his foot, and into the living room. He set her down on the couch and stepped back to assess the situation.

He could see that Orihime was close to hyperventilating. Her breaths came in short gasps amid sobs and hiccups. She was obviously trying to calm herself down, but it wasn't working.

Ichigo scrutinized her behavior. The day of the picnic, she had confided that her brother had been murdered with a gun. He closed his eyes. No wonder she seemed so terrified. He could imagine what she was envisioning in her mind, her brother lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He glanced at her, trying to decide what to do. Hesitantly, he stretched out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. She immediately shrieked and shrank away from him.

"P-please don't t-touch me." She stammered, her gray eyes shining with tears.

"Orihime, you need to calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." Ichigo said calmly, holding his hands out in front of him. "You have to breathe."

The woman let out a cry as she jerked off the sofa and darted away from him. "I j-just want to be a-alone." She sobbed, slumping against the wall.

He raked a hand through his orange hair and sighed. Should he do as she said and just leave her alone? Or should he try to comfort her like she had done for him yesterday? With indecision still written on his face, he moved to her side and knelt down. "Orihime."

She attempted to put some distance between them, but he reached for her and drew her into a hug. Even though she tried to squirm out of his grasp, he refused to let her go. Instead, he only held her tighter the more she struggled. Finally, she broke down, allowing her tears to flow faster. Clutching his shirt, she buried her face in his chest as her small frame shook with sobs.

The two remained that way for five minutes, until her tears diminished. Orihime drew in a shaky breath and pushed away from him. "I-I'm sorry. I got your shirt all wet."

Ichigo looked down. "Oh. Don't worry about it. It will dry. But more importantly, are you okay?" He questioned, his eyes full of concern.

She nodded, but didn't meet his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine."

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Tell me the truth."

She averted her gaze, biting her lip.

"That's what I thought." He sighed and, without thinking, brushed a stray tear from her cheek.

Her breath hitched, and she discovered that she couldn't move. His one arm was still around her waist, keeping their bodies pressed together. Her face grew hot as her skin tingled from his gentle touch. "R-really, I am fine." She protested weakly.

Ichigo's brow furrowed as he stared at her. Even with her tear-stained face and her puffy eyes, he had to admit that she was beautiful. His gaze traveled from her eyes to her lips. Without warning, he leaned down and kissed her.

Orihime's eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. She felt dizzy and her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt tighter. When he pulled apart, the redhead stared at him. "I-Ichigo? What are you-"

He interrupted her by capturing her lips again. They were swept up in the passion of the kiss. It intensified as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, demanding entrance. She complied, and whimpered as his tongue invaded her mouth. He reached his hand up and pulled her hair loose, allowing it to fall over her shoulders. He tangled his fingers in the auburn locks, for the first time seeing how long it really was.

He hugged her body tightly against his, not wanting to let her go. As he trailed his fingers down her arm, he felt her shiver. He ached to feel her soft skin. Finally, he could stand it no longer. Unbuttoning her shirt, he pulled it out from her skirt and slowly slid it off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. As he did that, he kissed her neck. She clutched his shirt, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Ichi-go." She breathed.

He reached around her, searching for the zipper to her skirt. Her eyes widened and she attempted to pull away, but he pressed one hand against her back to keep her there while his other hand worked on the zipper. Her skirt slid to the floor. Orihime shivered, barely resisting the urge to try to cover her chest with her arms.

Ichigo grabbed her waist, yanking her closer, and kissed her. His tongue probed into her mouth, and she let out a moan. He suddenly felt hot. Too hot. Without breaking the kiss, he began to unbutton his own shirt and, with her help, took it off. He had to get closer to her. Pushing her against the wall, he delved deeper into her mouth. He played with the bottom of her chemise, debating about taking it off.

He jolted when he felt her small hands travel up his chest and looked down at her. She smiled shyly, stood on her tip-toes and brushed a light kiss on his cheek. He returned her smile, then locked lips again. He slipped his fingers up her chemise, and she whimpered into the kiss. He ran his hand up her side, pushing the material up as well. He stopped just under her breasts, not wanting to do something that would make her uncomfortable.

After a moment, his fingers began to slowly inch upward. She didn't resist. Any self-restraint he'd had fled instantly.

A gasp escaped as he lifted her in his arms and set her on the desk. Reaching over, Ichigo swept everything that had been on the surface to the floor. He returned his attention to her, and kissed her swollen lips, his hands angling her face so he could kiss her better. She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer. Her petticoats bunched up around her knees.

It soon became clear to Orihime just what exactly Ichigo had in mind. Panic set in, her thoughts whirling. This couldn't happen yet. When it came to the intimate part of marriage, she was absolutely clueless. She had also wanted to talk to Rangiku about it, since the older woman had stated clearly that she was experienced.

"W-wait, Ichigo!" She gasped out, holding her hands out in front of her. "I-I don't know what to do." A blush stained her cheeks as she shyly glanced away.

Ichigo leaned down and kissed her, just underneath her jawline. "Don't worry." He said, his voice tickled, leaving a pleasantly buzzing feeling in the back of her throat.

Orihime closed her eyes, allowing the bliss of the moment to wash over her.


	13. Of Meetings, Trickery, and Danger

I'm back~! Did you miss me? I am really, really sorry that I have taken this long to update, but a lot of things have been happening recently, and for a while, I had no inspiration. But now, here is the thirteenth chapter of Western Princess. Yes, this chapter is short, but I needed it to be short in order to set up for the next chapter.

Thanks to my beta for editing this chapter.

Read, enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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Orihime wished she knew what she was doing wrong. She tried not to talk too much. She was very careful when she cooked. She cleaned, washed the dishes, did the laundry. So why was Ichigo ignoring her again?

Perhaps, she thought with rising horror, she had not performed her wifely duty well. Oh, she knew that she should have talked to Rangiku about that delicate subject. Now, because she hadn't, Ichigo had withdrawn from her even more during the past three months. The stress of living with him when he only grunted in response and hardly looked at her was making her sick. Literally.

Orihime didn't want to bother him with her troubles, so she remained silent. She could live with the naseau as long as it meant Ichigo wouldn't get mad at her. She became a virtual prisoner in her own home. She was too afraid of snakes and _him._ Her brother's murderer was still out there. He would find her. If he found her, he would kill her.

A knock on the door startled her. Indecision rose in her mind. Should she answer, or should she ignore the visitor? Crossing over to the window, she cautiously peered out. She noticed a young boy standing there, turning a coin over in his hand. Deciding that the boy seemed harmless enough, she opened the door. "May I help you?"

"You're Mrs. Kurosaki, ain't you?"

"Yes, I am. And you are?" she inquired.

"I'm Tetsu. Some lady asked me to give this to you," he held out a piece of paper.

Orihime took it and thanked him. As he walked away, she shut the door and unfolded the paper.

_Orihime,_

_I need you to meet me at the stream on the east side of Karakura. There's a big oak tree with the initials B.K. + Y.S. Carved into it. I will be there at three this afternoon._

_Rangiku_

Orihime blinked. What was so important that Rangiku needed to talk to her? She nibbled on her lip. Truth be told, she was terrified to step foot outside the house. But Rangiku was her friend. Something must be terribly wrong with her. Or maybe she had overheard Sora's murderer talking about Orihime. _"Okay, I have to be brave. I can do this."_

It was only going for noon, so she decided to tell Ichigo her plans when he came to the house for lunch. She did not want to see him more than what was necessary.

She cringed. That sounded cruel, but it was the truth. Orihime hung her head. Answering the ad had seemed like a good idea at the time, but from the moment she had set foot in Karakura, it had been a disaster. If she could turn back time, she would-

She would...

Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't turn back time. She had made her decision, and now she had to stick with it. Even if Ichigo hated her and her life was miserable, she wouldn't give up. She would cook. She would clean. She would smile. With that thought firmly implanted in her mind, she entered the kitchen to prepare lunch.

As it turned out, Ichigo didn't come to the house for lunch. He had been on his way when a man on horseback had ridden up wildly, shouting loudly about his wife and baby. Ichigo had dashed back into his office, grabbed his bag, and taken off on his own horse.

So Orihime had left, looking for the oak tree Rangiku had described. It took her a few minutes to find it. She curiously traced the initials. "B.K. + Y.S. I wonder who they are," she murmured. "Maybe Rangiku knows." With a sigh, Orihime plopped onto the ground. Although she seemed to be at ease, she was on edge, her muscles tensed and ready to spring into action should a stranger intrude. A gentle wind blew by, rustling the leaves. She was tempted to close her eyes and savor the quietness of the woods, but she didn't. She was too afraid of someone sneaking up on her and killing her.

A twig snapped, and Orihime jerked up. Her breath caught in her throat. "R-Rangiku? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

The young woman relaxed as her friend stepped out of the brush. "Oh, okay. Good. What did you-" she froze, seeing her friend's face. "What happened?" she tentatively reached out a hand and touched a bruise marring Rangiku's right cheek.

"Orihime, I am so sorry," Rangiku whispered.

"I...I don't understand. Sorry about what?" Orihime blinked when Rangiku was suddenly shoved aside and fell to the ground. "Rangiku?"

"Finally. After ten months of searching, I finally found you."

All color fled from Orihime's face as she realized with rising horror who was now standing directly in front of her. "No. No! Stay away!" she shrieked, turning on her heel to run away. She only managed to sprint a few feet before he grabbed her, forcing her to face him. Tears filled her eyes as she looked into the eyes of her brother's killer. "You killed Sora," she whispered brokenly.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I'm not going to kill you," he paused. "Yet." His eyes glittered dangerously as he effortlessly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Rangiku, help me!" Orihime pleaded, stretching out her hand towards her friend.

"Let her go," Rangiku spoke, rising to her feet.

The man stepped over to her, pulling out his gun as he did so. Orihime let out a cry. "I don't take orders from women," he spat out before hitting the older woman with the butt of the pistol.

"Rangiku!" Orihime called out, tears streaming down her cheeks. The woman lying on the ground didn't move. "She's dead. You killed her," she sobbed.

"Oh, quit your crying. So annoying."

Orihime gulped, quivering in fear. Her worst fear had come true. Her brother's murderer had found her. And now, it looked as though she would soon be joining Sora.


	14. Of Truth, Love, and Tracking

Here's chapter 14, for those of you who are still interested in reading Western Princess. I apologize sincerely for the amount of time that has passed between updates. The past few months have been emotionally rough for me, and I had no inspiration whatsoever. But here is the 14th chapter for you to read and review.

Thanks to my awesome beta for editing this very quickly.

Enjoy!

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Ichigo had made it back to his office by four in the afternoon. Upon not seeing Orihime in the house, he assumed that she had gone to see Rangiku. She hadn't left a note, however, which annoyed him. She couldn't just up and leave anytime she wanted to without letting him know where she was going.

Especially not now.

Ichigo scowled, pushing away the troublesome thoughts that had risen in his mind, and focused on the eleven year old boy sitting before him. Tetsu Oki had broken his arm a month ago after falling out of a tree he had climbed. Now, his arm was healed completely.

"There we go. Looks like the arm is as good as new." Ichigo smiled at the young boy.

"Wow, thanks!" Tetsu exclaimed, examining his arm.

"Now, don't go climbing any more high trees," the doctor cautioned.

"I won't, Sir." The boy's eyes sparkled mischievously.

Ichigo exchanged grins with the boy's father. "Take care now."

No sooner had the two of them left, then did a woman walk into the office. He recognized her as Rangiku Matsumoto.

"I need to talk to you, Ichigo," Rangiku said quietly.

He gave a slow nod and stood up, wondering where Orihime was. "All right."

The woman paced for a few minutes, and Ichigo felt himself becoming slightly concerned. What if something had happened to Orihime? Or to-

"Orihime's been kidnapped."

Ichigo blinked.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry. I didn't realize... I mean, I should never have..." Rangiku gave up and buried her face in her hands.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked in a low voice. "Start at the beginning."

She lifted her head, staring at a spot over his shoulder. "The beginning, hm? I'm originally from New York City, New York. I ran away from home after my parents died. My father had arranged my marriage to an awful man, but I didn't want to marry him." She shuddered slightly. "I came west by myself. The stagecoach I was traveling on was robbed." Here her eyes took on a faraway look. "The men almost killed me, but someone saved me. His name was Gin Ichimaru." She ignored Ichigo's sharp intake of breath and continued on. "He killed the robbers, and I was so grateful to him for saving my life that I followed him around."

"Wait a minute," Ichigo interrupted. "Gin Ichimaru? One of the Las Noches?"

Rangiku nodded. "Yes, although I didn't know it at the time. I was twenty-one, young and impressionable. He was the same age, daring and mysterious. I was in love with him, and I thought he loved me in return." She gave a wistful sigh. "But then he left me four years later. No warning, no good-bye, nothing. I made it to the nearest town by myself and became a saloon girl." She grinned. "A year ago, I quit and moved here to start a new life."

"That's a nice story, but what does this have to do with Orihime being kidnapped?" Ichigo asked, though he had a feeling deep in his gut that he already knew the answer.

"Did you know that her brother had been murdered?"

"Yeah, she told me that a while ago."

"Did you know that she was hidden in a room and heard the entire thing?" Rangiku asked softly.

Ichigo froze. "No, I didn't."

"There were two men there, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Grimmjow was the one who pulled the trigger. He started to go after Orihime, but Ulquiorra persuaded him to let her go."

"How do you know this?"

"She told me. Of course, she didn't know their names." She hesitated. "But I knew someone who did."

"Gin." Ichigo stated flatly.

"Yes. He came to see me a few days ago. Grimmjow was here in town, disobeying orders, and he was sent here to take him back. I told Gin about what Orihime had told me. I had no idea that he would tell Grimmjow." The woman drew in a deep breath. "Grimmjow came to my house this morning, and ordered me to lure Orihime away to a secluded place. He said that if I refused, he would make up evidence to make Gin look like he was a traitor to the Las Noches." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I love Gin. I didn't want him to die."

"So you'd rather Orihime get hurt instead."

"I didn't know she would come alone! I thought that she would tell you, and you would go with her, or at least send someone with her." Her voice dropped an octave. "I tried to stop him."

"Where are they?" He growled.

"Probably at the Las Noches camp by now."

"Do you know where it is?"

She gave Ichigo a surprised look. "No, I don't."

He gritted his teeth. "Terrific."

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. I never meant for this to happen."

He whirled around on her. "If anything happens to them, it's on your head."

"Them?" Rangiku repeated slowly.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "She's pregnant. With my child." He turned his back. "I have to go get some men together to go after her. Go home."

Rangiku lowered her head and quietly walked down the path.

Ichigo's thought spun wildly as he raced towards town, riding Zangetsu. Why hadn't Orihime told him where she was going? Why hadn't Orihime told him that she had witnessed her brother's murder? Questions that only she could answer, when he got her back from the Las Noches.

_If_ he got her back.

For all he knew, she was dead by now. Fury erupted inside of him. What had she been thinking? No, he corrected himself. She _hadn't_ been thinking. That was why this was happening.

Now he had to find men who were willing to march into hell to get her back. He knew of one person who would not hesitate to volunteer. He steered his horse towards the blacksmith shop.

Thirty minutes later, Ichigo had thirteen men following him. Chad and Isshin were there, of course. Byakuya had allowed him to borrow Ikkaku and Izuru. Shunsui Kyouraku had also volunteered, although Ichigo firmly believed that he just wanted to be injured in hopes that Nanao would be there to nurse him back to health. Kisuke had even come along, much to Ichigo's surprise. He hadn't known that the creepy storekeeper even knew how to shoot a gun. Renji would have liked to come, but Ichigo had shot the idea down. He wasn't recovered enough to ride on a horse, much less worry about getting shot at. There were also seven other men who, upon hearing his problem, had said that they would go, too. The Las Noches was quickly becoming a thorn in everyone's side.

Ichigo had discovered the note Rangiku had sent to Orihime, and was relieved that at least they had a place to begin looking. Upon reaching the tree with the initials, they looked for any tracks indicating which direction they had gone.

Chad found the tracks first, and Ichigo was glad that his friend had come. Chad was skilled with tracking.

"This brings back memories, hm, Isshin?" Kisuke mused.

Isshin merely grunted, ignoring the curious glance that Ichigo was giving him. Kisuke said nothing more after that.

Actually, no one spoke after that. The atmosphere was tense. They all understood that none of them might make it back alive. The Las Noches was a mysterious group. No one knew how many members it had. That was why this mission was so dangerous. They were walking blindly into a hornet's nest.

And all to save that one woman from Virginia.


	15. Of Awakening, Fear, and Escape

I live! I apologize sincerely for the long wait, but writer's block has held me in its grip for a while. But here is the fifteenth chapter of Western Princess.

Thanks to my beta DarthHawk32 for editing this.

* * *

Orihime's eyes fluttered open. She blinked to clear her vision. She was lying on some blankets in what appeared to be a tent. She sat up carefully, moving different parts of her body to make sure that everything still worked. When she had concluded that nothing was broken, she began to work on the next task.

Trying to figure out where she was.

Biting her lower lip, Orihime crawled over to the opening of the tent. She cautiously peeled back the flap, and soon felt horror wash over her body. There were other tents, and men milled about the campsite. They looked rough and crude, and a horrible stench wafted from most of them. She covered her nose with her hand, gagging slightly. Had they never heard of bathing?

Her gaze latched onto one of the men, and memories of today – or possibly yesterday? How much time had passed? – flooded her mind. She bit her lip harder to keep from screaming.

Oh, no. No, no. No, no!

Hysteria threatened to overtake her, and she quickly dropped the material and scooted back onto the blankets, hugging her knees to her chest. She fought to keep the panic under control by breathing in and out deeply. She just had to be patient. Ichigo would come for her soon.

Right?

Tears welled in her eyes. Maybe not. After all, he had not wanted a wife in the first place. And during the past few months, he had separated himself from her even more. He would see this as a good thing.

_Ichigo set the tray on the small table with a clunk, and turned to face her. "Orihime, let me tell you this. I may not have been expecting you to come, and I may not be entirely happy that you are here, but you are my responsibility. And I take responsibility very seriously. So you don't have to worry about anything. Got it?"_

Orihime paused. That had been after she'd bruised her hip, and he had kept his word. She was well taken care of. She had food, shelter, and clothing. Yes, Ichigo _would_ come and save her. Maybe Rangiku would...

Pain stabbed her heart. No, Rangiku was dead. That man – that murderer – had killed her. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away. She had to be strong. She could survive this.

A shadow fell across the tent, and she stiffened. A hand reached to pull back the opening.

"Grimmjow! Aizen wants to see you. Now." Orihime recognized this voice as the other man who had been there when Sora had been killed.

The man scowled. "I'm busy."

"I don't suggest defying his orders again. You're already in trouble, and disobeying will only add more punishment."

Grimmjow muttered something under his breath, but stepped away from the tent. He followed after the other man, leaving Orihime there shaking.

She had to get out of here. But how? There were at least thirty men here, and they would surely notice her sneaking around the camp. Hide-and-seek hadn't been one of her favorite games. Besides, she wasn't sure what they would do to her if they found her. Bile rose in her throat. Perhaps it would be better to just sit and wait here for help.

Orihime rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes. Depending on how long she had been missing, Ichigo could possibly be on his way. Would he be able to find her? She had no idea where they were, or how long they had traveled to get here.

A few more tears fell from her eyes, but she didn't notice. She just curled up in a little ball and fell into a fitful sleep.

Night had fallen on the campsite. A few fires burned, just enough to give off some light and heat for the men huddled around them. They were too busy laughing and swapping stories to notice a figure lurking about in the shadows.

The figure crept silently through the camp, sticking to the shadows. He peered into every tent, as though he were looking for something. But so far, his search hadn't revealed his objective. When he reached one tent in the middle of the camp, he paused. Could this be the one?

Quickly and quietly, he slipped into the tent. Glancing around, his eyes landed on someone lying down. He crept over, took a breath, and reached out his hand, covering the person's mouth.

The person immediately awoke, eyes shining bright with panic. A scream was muffled, but the man realized that this was not what he was looking for. This was a woman. He dropped his hand.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" He asked in a hushed tone.

She stared at him. "Wh-who are you?"

"My name is Staff Sergeant Toushirou Hitsugaya. I'm with the army. And you are...?" He prodded gently.

"Orihime Kurosaki." She whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Kurosaki? You wouldn't happen to be related to Isshin Kurosaki, would you?"

"Um, he's my father-in-law. If it's the same person," she added.

"Why are you here?" Toushirou questioned.

"I was kidnapped. That man – Grimmjow – killed my brother..." her voice broke.

Toushirou hesitated. What should he do? This was a perfect opportunity for him to finally find what he had been searching for. But he couldn't leave Orihime here by herself. So far, she had been lucky that no one had bothered her, but how long would that last? He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Come on. I'm going to get you out of here."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Really?" Tears filled her eyes.

"Yes. But you have to be quiet. If anyone sees us, it will alert the whole camp. I may be good, but I can't take down these outlaws by myself," he stated. _Besides, I'm not after the whole camp. Just one person..._

Toushirou slipped outside of the tent, gazing around to make sure the coast was clear. Motioning for Orihime to follow, he began to creep back towards the way he had come. Every little noise was magnified for him, and he was always conscious of where the men were. He couldn't let themselves be caught.

"Hey!" A shout broke through the silence. "Where is she? Which one of you good-for-nothings took her?"

Toushirou hissed out a curse, grabbing onto the woman's arm. "Hurry."

Orihime's eyes were wide with fright, and her heart pounded so loudly she feared that the outlaws would hear it. Her legs trembled, but she willed herself to keep moving. This man was being nice in helping her escape. She couldn't risk his life – or hers – by allowing them to be spotted.

Unfortunately, her nervousness only magnified her clumsiness. In her haste to follow Toushirou, she knocked over a box. Everyone's attention turned in their direction.

Toushirou cursed again before pushing her down to the ground and kneeling beside her. "Stay down," he hissed, pulling out a gun from his holster.

"I know you're there," Grimmjow called out. "Just come out and I won't hurt you." Several of the men snorted, but shut up when he glared at them.

Toushirou carefully poked his head up to see the men's positions, but quickly ducked back down when shots rang out.

"I'm sorry," Orihime whispered.

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "Just stay down and don't move." His mind was already working through different scenarios, but none of them ended with the two of them surviving. He only had a set amount of bullets. He would have to use them wisely. Taking in a deep breath, he sat up and shot off a few rounds, then crouched again when they fired back at him.

Orihime's gasp startled him. "There!"

He whirled around and caught sight of a man sneaking around the back. Toushirou fired, and the man slumped to the ground, a bullet lodged in his chest. When he looked back to the front, the men were closer, and he admitted to himself that this was a losing battle. There was only one of him, and at least thirty of them.

Thirty to one wasn't good odds for him. But if _he_ were here, _he_ would definitely be able to defeat them all singlehandedly. He'd heard the stories about how ruthless he was in battle. Unfortunately, he had disappeared off the face of the earth roughly twenty-four years earlier. Until now, at least, Toushirou mused as he remembered what Orihime had said about her father-in-law's name being-

"Hello, Toushirou."

He froze, feeling something metal against the base of his neck. He'd been caught.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? A year, perhaps?"

"One year, two weeks, and one day," Toushirou spat out. He didn't have to look behind him to know who it was. "Sousuke Aizen."

"Ah, I'm impressed. You've been keeping track. May I ask what brings you out here? Did you miss me?"

Toushirou snorted. "Hardly. You should know why I'm here, Aizen. I'm going to kill you."

A dark chuckle escaped the older man's lips. "Not if I kill you first."

Orihime, who had been silently watching the exchange, now covered her ears and screamed as Toushirou spun around, his finger on the trigger. He wasn't fast enough. Aizen shot him first, and blood began to spurt out of Toushirou's stomach. He collapsed to the ground, a hand pressed to his wound.

"I won't kill you, Toushirou. I'll let you suffer," Aizen smiled.

Orihime shuddered and shrank back when he turned his gaze towards her. "So, you're Sora Inoue's sister?" He reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet. "I have no idea what Grimmjow's obsession is with you." He began to steer her back to the camp. "You would do well to listen to him. There's no telling what he might do."

Orihime's thoughts swirled. She had lost her chance to escape. She was going to die here, as was Toushirou, if he wasn't dead already. A sob caught in her throat, and her knees buckled. The last thing she remembered was the ground rushing up to meet her and an arm wrapping around her waist.


End file.
